


Guidebook for 
Leaders of Juniors 





~~. sp ee TO . td a 4 . 


LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
PRINCETON, N. J. 


PRESENTED BY 


BX 8905 .P6 G8 1926 c.2 


Guidebook for leaders of 
juniors 


for 


Leaders of Juniors 


Material Preliminary 
to the 
Presbyterian Program for Juniors 


(Now in Process of Preparation) 


BOARD OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 
CHILDREN’S WORK 
WITHERSPOON BUILDING, PHILADELPHIA, PA. 


Working Cooperatively with 


BOARD OF NATIONAL MISSIONS BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS 
Department of Young People’s Work Young People’s Department 
156 Fifth Avenue, New York City 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City 


PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE JU. S. A. 





Copyright, 1926, by the 


PRESBYTERIAN Boarp OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 


Printed in the United States of America 





CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

PE SNOW IPC OUrs | DIOL Sen na incre sesets Weel Hake * 
Live line: UNIOD Prop rari. se ere aes eles nr ares hove 27 
III. Organization for the Junior Group ............ a2 
IV. The Junior’s Training in the Home............. 60 
V. Relating the Junior’s Religious Training to His 


SPCINAT. LOUCATIONS sen oie a ia lt ee 65 


INTRODUCTION 





fone | HE materials in this pamphlet for leaders of Juniors, 
| Pa Ey ages nine, ten, and eleven, are preliminary to the 
Soe) Manual iS; the Junior Program, which is in the 
process of preparation. These materials are in line 
with that Program. The Program is being developed by a 
committee representing the Board of Christian Education, 
working cooperatively with the Board of National Missions 
and the Board of Foreign Missions. The committee is com- 
posed of the following: 









For the Board of Christian Education—Florence E. Nor- 
ton, Chairman; Wilhelmina Stooker, Ethel W. Trout, Walter 
D. Howell, Walter A. Squires. 


For the Board of National Missions—Katherine Glad- 
felter, Elizabeth Harris. 


For the Board of Foreign Missions—Faye Steinmetz, 
Frances Hedden. 


It is hoped that these materials will be useful to leaders 
of Juniors, and that they will help to prepare the way for 
the new Program for Juniors which is approaching com- 
pletion. 


HaroLtp McA. Rosrnson, 


Secretary of the Division of Christian Education 
in the Home, Church, and Community of the 
Board of Christian Education of the Presby- 
tertan Church in the U.S. A. 


CHAPTER I 
KNOWING OUR JUNIORS 


[«exmo]O many Church-school leaders Juniors are not real 
flesh-and-blood boys and girls. They are just 
“Sunday-school scholars” or “Junior Endeavorers” 
and looking at them in this light, the leaders never 
see the real boys or the real girls. That is why they do not 
succeed with them—they do not know them. 

“The child,” said a witty lecturer to an audience of Church- 
school workers, ‘does not hang up with his hat all but the 
spiritual part of himself before he comes into the Church- 
school room. He brings all of himself to the Church school.” 
And he might have added that he brings all the influences of 
his home and school life, of his play and social experiences, 
also. That is why the teacher who does not know him, ex- 
cept as a pupil listening more or less attentively to a lesson 
prepared without any knowledge of his real life, often com- 
pletely fails to make any impression upon him. 

The successful teacher of Juniors is one who knows her 
pupils in their home life, in their play, and in their social 
activities ; one who knows their interests and ambitions, their 
likes and dislikes. Without such knowledge it is impossible 
to understand and truly help Junior boys and girls. 

James, for instance, is a case in point. He was hot- 
tempered, self-willed, determined to have his own way. He 
had a crude sense of humor which often led him to play tricks 
on the other boys, but when they retaliated he became surly 
and ugly. He was rude and saucy. But he was affectionate 
and could be guided through his affections. The teacher 
often wondered why he was so difficult. One visit to his 
home explained James. He had an overworked, overbearing, 
grouchy father, and a fat, easy-going, indulgent mother. 
Well, well,” she chuckled, “I hear you have conquered 


5 





GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


James. How you ever did it is more than I can tell. I can't 
do a thing with him.” All this with James standing by! 
After that visit to his home it was much easier for his 
teacher to have a sympathetic attitude towards the weak- 
nesses of James, and it was easier to know how to help 
him. 

Then there was Clara. Clara had a small, wiry body, 
carroty hair, bright, determined eyes behind thick glasses. 
She was good-natured, sweet-tempered, and decidedly efficient, 
but she was also what her fellow pupils called “bossy.” 
Hardly a session went by without a complaining, ‘Please 
Miss , make Clara let my work alone.” In this respect, 
she was incorrigible. 

One visit to Clara’s home dispelled the teacher’s 1m- 
patience. Clara was the oldest of five children whose mother, 
a widow, supported them by doing housework by the day. 
Every morning at seven-thirty she left for her work. It 
was Clara who got the younger children ready for school and 
gave them their breakfast, and it was Clara again who kept 
a watchful eye and an admonishing tongue busy all day in 
their behalf. How much easier it was to be patient when 
one knew all of Clara’s circumstances! One was filled with 
admiration for the cheerful way in which she got through her 
hard days. And knowing why she had become so “bossy” 
it was possible to plan for Clara in a way that made use of 
the efficiency so much responsibility had developed in her, 
without unduly annoying the other children or emphasizing 
a trait that was already too marked. 

Had anyone, reviewing the little group of which Alice and 
Clara were members, been asked to say which was the more 
fortunate child, he would undoubtedly have said Alice. 
I‘or Alice was better dressed, better cared for, had pleasanter 
manners, was more gentle in her ways. But the teacher who 
was working with Alice would not have agreed. For Alice 
lacked initiative to a marked degree. When designs for 
notebooks were being made Alice had no ideas for hers, she 
couldn’t decide which colors she wanted to use, she couldn’t 
choose a stencil. She couldn’t make decisions about anything. 


6 





KNOWING OUR JUNIORS 


Since Alice was not stupid, her lack of initiative seemed 
strange. | 

Before the teacher could visit Alice, her parents came to 
the little week-day class of which she was a member. They 
wanted to see if the environment was right, if the room was 
warm, if it was well ventilated. And then the teacher saw 
why Alice lacked initiative and decisiveness. She was an 
only child and her parents were well past middle life. Alice 
was their only interest. To save her all unpleasantness, all 
difficulties, was their sole ambition. Only her natural sweet- 
ness had kept her from being thoroughly spoiled. When 
class was over that afternoon, her mother buttoned her coat 
and adjusted her hat and her father put on her rubbers, al- 
though Alice was ten years old. Right then the teacher de- 
termined to begin to lay responsibility upon Alice, to counter- 
act the influence of a too doting father and mother. 

One cannot overestimate the effect of home life upon the 
child. Habits, attitudes, and conduct are largely the result of 
it. A Junior like Clara, the oldest of five children, who car- 
ries much responsibility may be extremely self-reliant and 
efficient, and a child like Alice, care-free and sheltered, may 
be years behind a child of Clara’s experience. 

In the moral realm the difference is more clearly evi- 
denced. The child who is constantly and wisely guided to 
behave as he should, who comes out of a home atmosphere of 
high moral and spiritual tone, finds it much easier to re- 
spond to moral teaching and to live in accordance with high 
standards of conduct than does a child who has had little 
or no training. 

The Junior is not only a product of his home but of his 
school and social life. A group of children coming to a week- 
day school of religion were very hard to manage. They were 
wary and suspicious of the teacher, inclined to take every 
possible advantage, could not be trusted with any freedom in 
the classroom. A visit to the school explained matters. There 
the teaching was rigidly formal. There was no freedom in 
the classroom. The teacher was severe, sharp in speech, not 
sparing biting sarcasm in reproof of the slightest misdemeanor, 


7 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


It took six weeks of patient effort on the part of the new 
teacher before that group of Juniors realized that she was not 
going to nag, and would not be sarcastic, although she could, 
and would, bein control. It was much longer than that before 
they could be trusted with the greater freedom in the class- 
room that their teacher wanted them to have, and it was 
longer still before the teacher could get them to engage whole- 
heartedly in codperative effort, so great had been the emphasis 
in their school on individual and competitive effort. In that 
class only an understanding of the school situation enabled 
the teacher to help her pupils. 

The Junior’s life in school, made up of his school work 
and his contacts with teachers and schoolmates in the school- 
room and on the playground, definitely shapes character and 
develops attitudes and habits. No religious educator can 
afford to ignore it. 

The play group of the child contributes just as definitely 
to his character development and the teacher in the Church 
school can as little afford to ignore it. George was a jolly, 
friendly Junior of ten. Suddenly he began to change. From 
a friendly, teasing, fun-loving but frank and fairly well 
behaved Junior boy, he became rude, selfish, a “smarty,” and 
a little less truthful and frank. In the Junior Department he 
became a source of annoyance to teachers and superintendent. 
Long and earnestly they debated as to what to do for him. 
The matron of his cottage in the orphanage was kind, thought- 
ful, motherly, and she, too, noted the change. Meeting the 
teacher, she one day confided to her the problem of George. 
His public-school teacher, who was a member of the church, 
was consulted and she also admitted that George was dif- 
ferent. But she had a clue to the problem. George had be- 
come very intimate with a boy slightly older than he and 
this boy’s friends had taken George into their group. These 
boys were older and were of the less desirable element in 
the school. George’s play group at this particular time was 
more definitely shaping his character than was any other in- 
fluence. It took time, tact, and careful planning on the part 
of his older friends to bring George into happy relationship 


8 


KNOWING OUR JUNIORS 





with another group of boys but, when the change had been 
successfully made, George soon returned to his former ways. 
In George’s case, the Sunday-school teacher made her greatest 
contribution, not by teaching, but by discovering his play 
situation at that time and changing it. 


CHARACTERISTICS OF JUNIORS 


While inheritance, home influence, the influence of the play 
group and the school combine to make each Junior different, 
there are some ways, of course, in which Juniors are more or 
less alike. Every experienced leader of Juniors knows that a 
Junior likes to be doing things. In a certain class of 
Juniors a dramatization was being worked out. The group 
was given quite a bit of freedom in planning it. Although 
the class met after school, the attendance never flagged. 
Breathlessly the Juniors arrived and with keenest interest 
went to work. There was a delightful busyness and activity 
in the room but no disorder. Yet in the Sunday school in 
that same church these Juniors were a noisy, uninterested, 
dificult group. Later when they were invited to prepare and 
conduct a worship service in the Junior Department on a cer- 
tain Sunday they were greatly interested and willingly spent 
much time in preparation. 

A healthy Junior is alert mentally. He likes variety, 
is eager for new things. He has a wide range of interests. 
The Church-school leader whose methods never vary is the 
one who is apt to find her pupils troublesome. 

While he is boastful and self-assertive, suffering no un- 
due modesty, the Junior responds to authority administered 
in a just way and respects the leader who can command 
obedience. But woe betide the leader who cannot rule justly, 
for the Junior has a strong sense of justice, especially with 
reference to himself. Any unjust treatment of himself or 
his group is resented, but injustice toward those outside the 
group is apt to go by unchallenged. 

Most Juniors are heedless and irresponsible, needing 
to be guided into thoughtfulness. A group of Juniors plan- 
ning a party wanted dishes. “Let’s take the Ladies’ Aid 


9 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 
dishes,’ was suggested by one and all agreed. “But,” said 
the leader, “they belong to the Ladies’ Aid. Would you like 
some one to use your things without asking?” Silence! 
“They had to work awfully hard to get those dishes,” re- 
marked George, “I know, for my mother helped.” Finally 
the group agreed that it would not be fair to take the pretty 
new dishes without asking permission. A committee was ap- 
pointed to do so and permission was readily granted, the 
teacher having first interviewed the ladies and promised to see 
that any losses would be made good in case the dishes were 
damaged by the children. 

When the party was over, the group was ready to rush 
away. “But what about the dishes?” asked the teacher. “Oh, 
theyll wash them when they come. They’re going to use 
them to-night.” The teacher was silent and so was the 
group. “Well, it isn’t very nice to borrow dishes and leave 
them dirty!” said Alice. “All right, let’s do them,” was the 
prompt response. 

While they were being washed, the teacher said, “I wonder 
if we ought to write a little note of thanks to the Ladies’ Aid ?” 
“Let’s !” enthusiastically. The idea was taken up, and a com- 
mittee was appointed to carry the note, but interest flagged 
considerably when the note had to be written and it was hard 
to find words in which to express thanks. When it was 
finally done, and appreciative words from the Ladies’ Aid 
‘were heard, they were quite proud of themselves, but only 
the guidance of the leader kept them from appropriating the 
dishes in the first place and leaving them for the ladies to 
wash when next they needed them. 

Apparently outspoken, Juniors are really quite reserved 
about their inmost thoughts and feelings. They do not reveal 
to any but the closest friend the cherished ambition, the real 
fear, the admiration felt for some individual. They are chary 
of expressing affection. The hurts that go closest home are 
not mentioned. A little lad who has prayed with his father 
or mother each evening now wishes to pray alone. One can 
see the approach of the Junior period in this sudden reserve 
in his devotional life. 


10 


KNOWING OUR JUNIORS 


INTERESTS OF JUNIORS 

While the interests of individual Juniors differ, there are 
certain things in which the Junior teacher can be pretty sure 
that all her group will be interested. For instance, every 
normal Junior delights in play, and it is rather inter- 
esting to watch Juniors at play. At this period of life, the 
child has at command more games than at any other time, for 
he still knows all the plays and games of earlier years and is 
becoming acquainted with the games of older children. Ac- 
tion is characteristic of many of the games the Juniors play. 
“Hopscotch,” “hide and seek,” every form of “tag,” “pris- 
oner’s base,” and “dodge ball,” are played with greatest zest. 
Boys and girls play the same games, with the exception of a 
few boys’ games that are too rough for the girls and some 
games that girls like which are too tame for the boys. Play, 
however, is not entirely confined to noisy, active games. This 
is the time when boys and girls like puzzles, various games 
that are played with cards, and such games as parchesi and 
checkers. Riddles are very popular and almost invariably a 
sign language or code is invented, or “hog Latin” is used to 
mystify the uninitiated. Games requiring much teamwork 
are not popular with Juniors. They are still so self-centered 
that a game requiring much team play makes very slow and 
unsatisfactory progress. 

Part of the play life of the Junior shows itself in his 
interest in collecting things. The author of a novel tells 
of the wonderful string of buttons owned by the little girl 
heroine of the story. This child had the longest and finest 
string of her group because her father had the department 
store in the town and brought her many new buttons. Here 
is an illustration of the way in which the collecting interest 
manifests itself in Junior years. There is usually only an 
interest in getting things together, with no particular concern 
as to the value, or uniqueness, or beauty of the collection. 

Here the Church-school teacher has an opportunity, for the 
value of the desire to collect things lies in what it may mean 
to the Juniors. A group collection of missionary curios may 
lead to interesting studies of life in mission lands. <A nature 


11 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


collection may open the way to nature study, with all the | 
values that may accrue from companionship with the teacher . 
in the rambles through the fields and woods. 

The Junior delights in new experiences. He likes to — 
experiment with things to see what will happen.. Often in 
his eagerness to experiment he fails to think about results or ~ 
to respect the property or the rights of others. Charles, ex- 
perimenting to see what would happen, put the electric lights 
out of commission, thereby leaving the entire sanatorium 
in darkness just as the nurses were getting patients settled 
for the night. When he was sharply reproved, he sullenly 
muttered that “he only wanted to see what would happen.” 
Many of the daring and dangerous stunts of Juniors are per- © 
_ formed for the same reason. Interest in the imaginary has 
gone, and a keen interest in real life has taken its place. 
“Ts it true?” “Did it really happen?’ “Did the man in 
the story really live?’ These are questions one constantly 
hears and, while Juniors are always ready to listen to am 
imaginary story, as such, their keenest interest is reserved 
for that which is true. 7 

All this has meaning for the Church-school teacher. Her 
work with Juniors, to be successful, must bring them a variety: 
of experiences. It must have to do with the life the Junior - 
is now living and not with theories and abstract dogmas that 
are to prepare him for later life. It must lie pretty largely © 
within the realm of doing, for it is by doing that the Junior 
gets new experiences and makes them real in his own life. 

Nine-year-old Juniors read fairly well; during the Junior 
years they learn to read with ease and rapidity. Reading - 
opens up a new and delightful world to the average Junior,. 
a world of new experiences and ideas. Hence, reading is 
one of the interests of most Junior children. Their books 
must be full of action, with little or no description, and their 
favorite characters are those who are capable of daring and 
heroic deeds. Books of adventure are well liked. 

In this interest of Juniors, there is also splendid opportunity 
for the Church-school teacher. The Bible is full of heroic 
characters. Missionary history abounds with stories of heroic 


12 


€ KNOWING OUR JUNIORS 





« 


“¥men and women. Juniors who read with absorbed interest 
the story of Livingstone, or Judson, or a modern missionary, 
are not only storing up appreciation of noble living but also 

+quite possibly getting an attitude toward missionary effort 

_ which may later result in consecration to the missionary task. 

~ An interesting study of some of the heroic men and women 
of the Bible may result in an appreciation of the religious 

‘ point of view and of religious living that will make a big 

contribution to the character development of the child. 

>, The Church-school teacher may also help her pupils to ap- 

, - preciate good fiction. Many parents do not help their chil- 

‘, dren in this respect. She can frequently bring a good book 

| for Juniors to the attention of the group by reading a bit of 

, it to them or telling them part of the story. If she can find 

. time to go to the library and browse among the children’s 
.books, she can steer her Juniors intelligently in their reading. 
i will help parents greatly if she sends home early 1 in Decem- 
‘ber a list of good books for Juniors, also giving prices. A 

_ list of books for Juniors will be furnished upon request. 

No one can know Juniors very well without becoming 

_ aware of their keen admiration for men and women of 
achievement, especially in the realm of the physical. Athletes, 

» soldiers, missionaries who have faced great danger, explorers 

_areceive the Junior’s unstinted admiration. They do not so 
clearly appreciate moral worth, although they do understand 
the difference between moral and physical courage, and ap- 
preciate moral courage to some extent. 

A group of Juniors were discussing the difference between 
physical and moral courage. They had said that a knight 
(they were discussing the qualities of a knight) would never 
run away from danger and would defend the weaker, even 
if it meant suffering for him, and they easily discussed these 
qualities in relation to their own lives. But they found it a 
little harder to define moral courage and to apply it to them- 
selves. Finally one said, defining moral courage in terms of 
Junior experience: “Well, you’re having an examination in 
school. You want to pass, but you’re not quite sure of all 
the questions. The boy in front knows every one and he 


f 13 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 





will let you see his paper. Lf you just won't look, that’s 
moral courage.” 

There are so many heroic characters in the Bible, in the 
missionary enterprise, in the service of the world to-day, that 
the Church-school leader has a great opportunity to make her 
hero-loving Juniors acquainted with men and women who will 
inspire them to finer living. In this connection the heroic 
Christ should always be presented to the Juniors. His heroic 
qualities will draw them to him, but his meekness will not 
appeal. 

PROBLEMS OF JUNIORS 

Here we have a very sketchy word picture of a group of 
healthy, hearty, and for the most part, happy boys and girls. 
No one would think that they had problems. But as a matter 
of fact all children, including Juniors, have their problems, 
and some of these are quite serious and are acutely felt. One 
cannot know the problems of individual Juniors, but there are 
some general problems that boys and girls of this age are 
apt to face, and every Church-school leader should be aware 
of them. 

To find time to play and to read. School, home work, 
music lessons, special language lessons, social occasions, 
Church school, with its increasing demands, make Juniors 
very busy people. Indeed, unless they are carefully guarded, 
the lives of Juniors are apt to be too crowded. Often they do 
not have enough time to read and play; or they are torn be- 
tween the desire to play and the wish to read since it is im- 
possible to do enough of both to be satisfying. Church-school 
leaders should keep in mind the Junior’s ever-decreasing play- 
time in planning things that call for more time in the Church 
school. Where there are several Junior organizations in a 
church, there should be careful codperation in planning serv- 
ice activities and social affairs so that the children will not be 
called to too many things. 

_ In some communities this difficulty has been recognized 
and some effort made to meet it. In one community the 
public. school gives no home work of any sort over the week- 
end, leaving that time free for the home and the Church- 


14 


KNOWING OUR JUNIORS 





school. In other communities one day is recognized as Church 
day and nothing else is planned for that time. In many more 
communities public-school and Church-school leaders and 
parents could unite in an arrangement which would enable 
each group to give the Juniors what they should have and 
still conserve for them freedom for quiet times with their 
parents, for play, for reading, and for other activities that 
they like to pursue. 

To find an avenue for the expression of the desire for 
leadership. In a certain church a fine group of Junior 
boys were deeply interested in a club. Their club leader under- 
stood them very well, and knew just how to give them all 
the opportunities for leadership that they, with their limited 
leadership abilities, could carry. One mother whose only 
son was in the club approached the club with the suggestion 
that the mothers be a committee to help whenever the club 
had social affairs, to provide refreshments, and so on. She 
pointed out that the boys could have much nicer refreshments 
if the mothers were there to help. Strange to say, her offer 
was not overenthusiastically received although it was finally 
accepted and the committee of mothers appointed. Later, 
when she was talking over the matter with her own boy, he 
said: “Well, mother, it’s a pretty good idea, but I hope the 
mothers won’t want to do everything. We like our club be- 
cause we do ’most everything ourselves. I’m afraid the 
mothers will get to doing everything and spoil it all.” The 
_mother was a little hurt and quite puzzled, but the leader to 
whom she brought her complaint could well understand the 
fear of this little Junior that opportunities for assuming 
leadership in their club would gradually be curtailed by the 
well-meant efforts of the mothers. 

A group of Junior girls in a mission study group at the 
close of their six weeks of study invited their mothers and 
other friends to see their exhibit. They planned a program 
which the adult leader of the little group knew she could 

shave greatly improved, but she knew, too, that the lessons 
learned by those girls as they planned that program were far 
more valuable to them than the improved program would 


15 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


have been. When the time came they carried out their pro- 
gram, served refreshments, and were most delightful 
hostesses to their mothers and friends. When the refresh- 
ments gave out, they cheerfully did without. One heard 
on every side, “Who would have thought these girls could 
plan and carry out a program so successfully!” The girls 
beamed with happiness, for they had had an opportunity to 
take as much responsibility as they were capable of carrying, 
and really to do something, as they said, “all by ourselves.” 

Here is something of meaning for the Church-school 
teacher. Some freedom in choice of study and activities, a 
simple form of self-government, and constant opportunities 
for the expression of leadership should be given Junior boys 
and girls, and, where this freedom is given, other things 
being equal, they are keenly interested members of the Church 
school. 

To find their place in the social group. With the 
Junior’s growing tendency to seek companionship comes an 
increasing interest in social life. Often, however, he does 
not easily find his place in his social group. This is apt to be 
especially a problem for shy, nervous, frail, or spoiled chil- 
dren. Every school-teacher knows the child who, for some 
reason or circumstance, does not readily find his place in the 
social group. Only the thoughtful and observant teacher 
knows what suffering and unhappiness is endured by such 
children, with consequent ill effects in after life. For usually 
the child who is a social misfit grows into the adult who is 
a social misfit. 

Sometimes the Junior is a misfit because he lacks courage 
to try the games and the stunts of his group, thereby earning 
their scorn and condemnation; sometimes it is because he is 
shy or quite different temperamentally from the average 
Junior. He is sometimes a misfit because of home traditions 
and training or circumstance. The boy who is dressed in 
“sissy” fashion or the girl who is poorly dressed will be made 
to suffer, for Juniors are cruel to those who are different. 
Often the Junior is a misfit because he is so self-centered and 
spoiled that he cannot make the adjustments necessary to be- 


16 


KNOWING OUR JUNIORS 


come a happy member of the group. The Church-school 
leader, studying her group thoughtfully, getting to know 
each individual well, may discover some child who is not 
finding his place in the social group. It may be her happy 
privilege to help him to make the adjustment which will en- 
able him to do so. If she helps him to become a normal 
member of the group she may rest assured that she has 
made a great contribution to his happiness and to his char- 
acter development. 

To satisfy the desire for approval. The Junior likes to 
feel that his parents, his teachers and older friends, and 
most of all, his playmates approve of him. He is often puz- 
zled, however, by his failure to win the approval of his 
elders. This is chiefly because he does not understand the 
point of view of grown people, just as they do not under- 
stand the point of view of a Junior. Also, the Junior is 
shortsighted and heedless, so that in trying to do one thing to 
win approval he forgets other things equally important. He 
does not generalize well. Consequently all instructions about 
behavior have to be very specific or else he is always doing 
things that seem to his elders irritatingly thoughtless. John, 
aged ten, saw a friend of his mother’s leaving the church 
garden laden with packages. He had an armful, too, for they 
had both been to a lawn party and he had been a generous 
buyer. He remembered his mother’s lessons about politeness, 
however, and putting his own things down in a corner offered 
to carry the packages for his older friend. She was much 
impressed by his politeness but later was quite embarrassed 
-when John in passing his mother called: “Mother, carry my 
packages, please. I’m taking Mrs. ’s home for her.” As 
his mother was laden with packages, she was not especially 
pleased to have to carry John’s also. Here was a desire 
to win approval but, due to the usual heedlessness of the 
Junior, it was expressed in such a way that it did not quite 
win the approval desired. 

The Junior’s desire to win the approval of his social group 
is often handicapped by home ideals or home traditions. All 
Edward’s friends play marbles “for keeps.” But Edward’s 


17 





GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 





parents do not approve. They ask him every day if he has 
done so. Edward must either refuse to play marbles “for 
keeps” and not play marbles at all, since none of the boys 
will play on any other basis, or else be in constant disgrace at 
home. This is a hard situation for a child of ten. All 
Edward’s friends are in the same Junior Department. His 
teacher is aware of the situation. If she could set a different 
standard for marble-playing in that group, Edward’s problem 
would be solved. But she is so concerned about having all 
the boys in her class know their memory work that she has 
no time to be interested in the real life problems of her 
pupils. 

To be loyal. The Junior has a desire to be loyal to his 
friends, to the crowd with which he goes, to members of his 
family, and to teachers if he likes them at all. Often he 
is severely troubled in deciding where to be loyal. There 
are certain standards of loyalty which Juniors, especially the 
boys, seem to have worked out for themselves. One does 
not “tell on” one’s friends or on any member of one’s gang. 
One is loyal to them, always. But, in order to be true to this 
ideal, the Junior is often disloyal to some other ideals that 
are important for him. 

A group of Juniors were playing in the school yard. A 
stone was thrown that broke one of the schoolroom windows. 
The teacher, calling the group, asked who threw the stone. 
No one offered a reply. The teacher asked whether she was 
justified in trying to find out who had broken the window. 
The group agreed that she was perfectly justified in seeking 
that information since she was the teacher in the room and 
was responsible for things. She then asked if the members 
of the group did not think that some one should tell who 
threw the stone, if the culprit would not confess. One boy 
rose and said, “We know who threw the stone, but we think 
he ought to tell and not make us tell on him or suffer for his 
mistake.” With that, another boy arose and said, “Miss 
— —,I threw the stone.” Loyalty to the opinion of his group 
caused him to confess. Loyalty to him as a member of the 
group held the others back from telling who had thrown the 


18 


KNOWING OUR JUNIORS 


stone. Situations like this are numerous in the life of the 
Junior and are often sorely puzzling to him. 

Again he is torn between loyalty to certain ideals set forth 
in his home and to the ideals of his play group. While 
he often forgets the ideals of his home in order to be loyal to 
his play group, he is not quite happy, at least in the begin- 
ning, in so doing and the experience is not good for him. 
The Church-school leader can often do her finest teaching by 
friendly, frequent contact with the play group of her pupils, 
especially if she can succeed in raising the standards of the 
group. 


THE JUNIOR’S RELIGIOUS DEVELOPMENT 


The Junior’s capacity for religious living is much greater 
than his capacity for religious thinking or his ability to de- 
velop points of view, attitudes, and ideals. Belief does not 
figure largely, although it has its place and is necessary if 
the Junior is to live a normal Christian life. Ideals, however, 
are more likely to be evolved from daily living. Juniors are 
not apt to set up for themselves ideals of conduct. They 
are not apt to set for themselves ideals of courtesy, sympathy, 
friendliness, but if under the guidance of thoughtful teachers 
or parents, they are led to be courteous, to be kind, to be 
friendly, the ideals gradually evolve. Thus the Junior’s 
ideals and attitudes more frequently grow out of the everyday 
activities of life. Therefore, while not neglecting the attempt 
to build into his life motives, ideals, and attitudes which 
make for religious living, the Church-school leader must aim 
to have the Junior live from day to day as nearly as possible 
in, accordance with Christian standards of conduct for 
Juniors. 


RELIGIOUS IDEALS AND ATTITUDES POSSIBLE FOR JUNIORS 


1. Love, trust, and reverence for God and for Christ. 

2. A growing sense of companionship with God and with 
Christ. 

3. A growing desire to be a follower of the Lord Jesus. 

4. An understanding of what is meant by living in a way 


19 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 





that is pleasing to God; a desire and effort to live in a way 
that is pleasing to him. 

5. A belief in prayer; normal growth in prayer life. 

6. A friendly and appreciative attitude toward those of 
other races and classes. 

These religious ideals and attitudes cannot be fully de- 
veloped in Junior years. They can be realized only to the 
degree possible for Juniors. A boy or girl of Junior years 
may have a satisfying, entirely normal sense of companion- 
ship with God, but it will be a child’s sense of companionship, 
not that of a grown person. It will often be unconventional, 
according to our adult standards; more than likely it will 
be unexpressed. But it can be a sense of companionship sick 
is satisfying and fruitful in character development. 

A Junior’s desire to be a follower of the Lord Jesus will 
be largely admiration for a character so heroic and wonderful, 
with a desire to be like him. There cannot be a deep sense 
of sin or a desire for cleansing and purifying. Such feeling 
belongs to adult years. There will not be, indeed there should 
not be, a deep emotional experience in deciding to be a fol- 
lower of Christ; that also is an experience of later years. 
Any attempt to bring about such an emotional experience is 
dangerous; it will possibly result in a later reaction that will 
be harmful to the individual’s religious development. 

Junior leaders must realize that the Junior’s religion is 
largely a matter of day by day living; his desire to follow 
Christ is based largely upon admiration of his life and love 
for him; his sense of sin is specific, not general. That is, he 
cannot, if he understands what he is saying, truthfully pray, 
“I am a sinner in the sight of God,” but he can and does 
pray: “I cheated in Saiiia to-day ; help me not to cheat to- 
morrow.” “I was mean and hateful to-day; help me to be 
kind.” 

Prayer cannot be a deep, mystical experience for Juniors. 
It ought not to be. It can be a source of help in times of 
need; a power which enables the Junior to live as he feels 
he ought to live; an expression of gratitude; an intercession 
for friends near and far, or for causes in which he is in- 


20 


KNOWING OUR JUNIORS 





terested. It can strengthen the sense of fellowship with God. 
There is danger in any other development of the prayer life 
of Juniors. On the other hand, Juniors must not be left to 
say thoughtlessly the rote prayers they have learned as little 
children, or to look upon prayer only as a means of getting 
things or a last refuge in times of dire need. 

Efforts to develop the Junior’s prayer life should seek 
first to win his intelligence. Only as he understands what 
prayer is, and has an intelligent belief in it, will he make 
real progress in his prayer life. 

Since his religion is largely a matter of doing, the way a 
Junior lives day by day is important, for it is by these 
“habitual lines of conduct” that character is formed. 

Janet comes from the average American home; there are 
several children; the family is in moderate circumstances. 
Janet is a normal Junior girl, good, but happy to relate, not 
too good. She is not loaded too heavily with responsibility 
but she has to carry her share of family duties. There is 
plenty of cheerful fun, much of give and take, much of 
sharing. There is enough, but not too much, parental teach- 
ing and guidance. She is in a normal school and play group. 
She is fortunate in her Church school, for the instruction 
is of a high order. Thus Janet, pretty generally, lives 
normally, and the result is seen in her development of 
character. 

Elsie is an only child. She need not, of necessity, be 
spoiled because of that, but she is. Family life revolves 
round her wishes and moods. Her chum is not her equal 
intellectually, so she dominates there. She dominates her 
play group. Her “habitual lines of conduct” are resulting 
in a development of character that is far from pleasing. She 
goes to a Church school and knows such religious truth as 
a Junior can understand very well indeed. But it has been 
taught as abstract truth, not as a way of living, and it does 
not function at all in her life. 

Such cases as these are proof of the fact that the Junior 
leader who would help her group can best do so by helping 
them to live in the right way, by presenting such religious 


21 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


truth as will function in life at once, not years hence, and 
by relating all religious truth to life. 


STANDARDS OF ConDuUCT POSSIBLE FOR JUNIORS 


It is essential that leaders of Junior groups shall know 
what standards of conduct are possible for Juniors. Much 
harm has been done in the past by requiring Juniors to live 
up to standards of conduct much better suited to adults, or, 
on the other hand, by permitting them to live on too low a 
level. Not enough is yet known about Junior life and con- 
duct to enable anyone to make positive statements as to 
what is good conduct for a Junior, but enough is known to 
make it possible to suggest some lines of conduct that really 
are possible for normal boys and girls of Junior age. The 
Junior leader must remember, too, that differences in 
heredity, different home training, different experiences in 
school life and play groups, will result in varying degrees of 
ability to respond to such standards. 


Growing self-control manifested in such ways as: 


1. Willingness to take lesser good that future good may 
come. 

2. Refraining from buying candy in order to save for 
some desired object. 

3. Choosing work before play. 

Alec’s father let him have his lawn mower to cut the 
neighbor’s grass so that he could earn money for a wheel. 
He was allowed to ask for the work on the understanding 
that he would do it faithfully and never ask to play on 
Saturdays until his work was done. His father helped him 
to work out a schedule which would give him time to play 
as well as to take care of his work. Only a few times did 
he try to put off his work for play. Once or twice he had 
to miss some real fun but he stuck to the job. 

4. Giving up desired objects for the sake of those smaller 
or weaker. 

5. Control of temper. 


22 


KNOWING OUR JUNIORS 


6. Growing control of teasing and of the desire to have 
fun at the wrong time and place. 

7. Obedience to the rules of health, for the sake of health. 
These may include remembering to stand and sit correctly ; 
being willing to go to bed early enough to get ten hours’ 
sleep each night; eating proper food and eating it slowly; 
eating certain desirable foods, such as milk and green vege- 
tables, without grumbling or sulking; refraining from too 
much candy and other sweets; getting plenty of fresh air and 
exercise. 

8. Finishing tasks. 

Jean was working with a group of children who were 
making a Palestinian village. She decided that she wanted 
to make the water jar. Later, when the difficulties of the 
task were irksome, she wanted to stop. This is typical of 
Juniors. They enter upon a task with great enthusiasm and 
as readily give it up when it becomes irksome. Sticking to 
a hard task until it is done is a moral advance. 

9. Growing respect for and obedience to law. 

This involves respect for and cooperation with officers of 
law in ways in which Juniors can cooperate, such as respect 
for public property and obedience to community rules and 
regulations so far as they are known and understood. 

10. Increasing ability to obey. 


Sense of honor shown by: 


1. Telling the truth, even when doing so will get the 
Junior into difficulties. 

2. Acknowledging responsibility for wrongdoing or mis- 
hap. 

A Junior girl in putting up an umbrella, which had been 
lent to her by her mother, broke it. It was an accident. She 
decided to put the umbrella back in the closet without say- 
ing anything about its being broken, being pretty sure that 
it would not be discovered for some time. Then she decided 
that she ought to be brave enough to tell. Unfortunately, her 
mother was not especially sympathetic and the little girl was 


23 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


quite sure that her response to the confession would be harsh, 
as it was. Nevertheless, she confessed. 

3. Standing by another member of the group when he has 
accidentally done some damage in play. 

4. Keeping promises. 

5. Refraining from cheating. 


Ideals of loyalty revealed by: 


Growing loyalty to members of the family; to the school ; 
to the group or gang or crowd; to certain chosen friends of 
the moment. 

The loyalty of Juniors is a budding thing. It cuts across 
the individualism and self-centeredness of the Junior and in 
any conflict between the two it is apt to lose out. The Junior 
leader may make use of it in building up loyalty to the 
church, to the class group, to work which the class may 
undertake, to certain carefully developed ideals. It is pos- 
sible to get the Junior to sacrifice some personal desires for 
the good of the group because of his loyalty to it. 


Growing consideration for others manifested in: 


1. Respect for older people. 

2. Growing respect for others in the play group; appreci- 
ation of their good qualities and abilities. 

3. Helping others. 

4. Kindliness toward the old or sick or those who are 
much younger. 

Juniors are kind to little children or to the aged or infirm, 
but not especially so to those who are only a year or two 
younger than themselves. It is better to stress kindness 
toward the groups for which they naturally have sympathy. 

5. Friendliness toward those who are different or of an- 
other race. 

This will come only under guidance. Juniors are often 
quite cruel to those who are different. Yet this need not be. 
It is not sufficient to tell Juniors that to treat other children 
unkindly is not courteous or not Christian. The attempt 
must be made to help them to see that boys and girls of 


24 


KNOWING OUR JUNIORS 


other races have as big a contribution to make to the world 
as they have, and are just as worth while. A little Greek 
boy in a public school, who was reviled by his schoolmates, 
was invited by his thoughtful teacher, who wished to correct 
the situation, to tell something about his country. He told 
about its glorious history, being well versed in it, and finally 
gave the Athenian oath of citizenship. The response of the 
other pupils to his story was that of keen interest and appre- 
ciation, and their attitude toward him was quite changed. 

6. Acts of courtesy and thoughtfulness. 

7. Respect for the property of others. 

Juniors have certain standards with reference to the prop- 
erty of others. Anything that a Junior has made, or secured 
and put his claim on, is recognized by other Juniors as being 
his. Property belonging to others in the play group is 
respected; that belonging to older people or those outside 
the play group is not so clearly recognized as the property 
of others, and is apt to be taken or used. A certain amount 
of patience must be exercised toward this failing of the 
Junior, but he should be increasingly able to respect the prop- 
erty of others outside his group. 


A cooperative spirit in play and work manifested in: 


1. Playing fair. 

This includes not cheating; observing rules faithfully; 
giving others a chance; not whining when defeated; not 
boasting too much when winning. 

2. Taking turns cheerfully. 

3. Sharing and helping. 

4. Ability to codperate with the other members of the 
group for the common good of all, or for the accomplish- 
ment of a purpose. This involves interest in and ability to 
hold oneself up to a higher standard for the sake of the 
group, rather than for individual reward or recognition. 


Growing desire and ability to choose the right shown by: 


1. Right choices in increasing numbers, such as telling the 
truth when there is a chance to tell an untruth and not be 


25 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


discovered; refusing to cheat; refusing to take what does 
not belong to one; refusing to say mean things about another. 

2. An effort to be unselfish, shown in sharing, especially 
with little ones, and in helping others. 

3. Increasing ability to obey even when not observed. 

4. Working just as hard and just as carefully when there 
is a chance to shirk as when observed. 

5. Choosing the harder way, if necessary, instead of the 
easier way. 

It must be remembered that these standards of conduct, 
these ideals and attitudes, will not come of their own ac- 
cord. Left to himself, the Junior, as a rule, will not develop 
in ways that are pleasing to others. Even where home train- 
ing is helpful, some of the religious ideals cannot be reached 
unless the Church school is doing its full duty. Reverence 
will not flourish in a school where disorder is rife, or where 
worship services are so slipshod or wearisome that a normal 
Junior is almost driven to misbehavior. All that a Junior 
may achieve is possible only when home influence and teach- 
ing are helpful in a positive way and when the Church school 
is really doing its part. Even when the home influence is 
not so helpful as it should be, the Church-school leader who 
is willing to invest much time and effort and prayer may 
hope for some of the results in Junior development that are 
hinted at here. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 
“The Junior,’ Chave. 
“A Study of the Junior Child,” Whitley. 
“The Dawn of Religion in the Mind of the Child,” Mum- 
ford. 
‘The Dawn of Character,” Mumford. 


26 


CUIAME PRS bi 
THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 


SJESIRED results in Junior development are brought 
get about only by a careful program of religious train- 
y4 ing, carried on in the home and in the Church 
school. Such a program must give information and 
training in worship, and have place for play and other activi- 
ties. For convenience the program outline suggested here is 
grouped under the headings, information, worship, activities, 
but in actual practice there is no such formal division. In- 
formation and activity may be intermingled, as when a group 
of Juniors helping a leader to prepare a missionary exhibit 
gain a wealth of information about a certain country, yet 
never have a formal period of instruction. We cannot say, 
“Here is the place for formal instruction,” or “Now is the 
time for worship only.” While we do have a period of wor- 
ship in many of our Junior sessions, worship moments may 
come at other times, as when a group of Juniors had listened 
to a selection on the victrola, discussed it, listened to it again, 
and were suddenly in a spirit of worship that was felt by 
all. Another group of Juniors, dramatizing the Twenty- 
fourth Psalm, suddenly found themselves in the spirit of 
worship and were led in a brief period of worship by their 
leader who quickly sensed the situation. In building a pro- 
gram of religious education for Juniors, however, it is well 
to be clear about what information Juniors should have; 
what worship training; what type and scope of activity. 
Therefore, the suggestions for program given here are 
grouped in that way. 





CURRICULUM OF INFORMATION 
AIMS 


To help Juniors to know what is Christian con- 
duct for a Junior. 
To help them to become acquainted with heroic 


Ze 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


characters of the Bible, of the missionary enter- 
prise, of the world of to-day. 

To help them to know the people of other races 
and classes in such a way that they develop respect 
for their abilities and their good qualities, thereby 
enabling them to develop Christlike friendliness to- 
ward them. 

To give them a knowledge of the land where Jesus 
ived. 

To help them to know something of the Church 
and its work in order to develop an appreciative 
attitude toward it; to help them to know something 
of the missionary enterprise. 

To help them to know something of the Bible and 
its history. 


Such a curriculum would consist of the following: 


Bible courses. These include stories of Biblical heroes; 
stories showing the results of right and wrong choices; 
the life of Christ; studies of the early Christian mission- 
aries. They should not contain stories that reveal, as 
some of the Bible stories do, standards of conduct 
below standards of to-day. They should not contain 
abstract Scripture passages for discussion. They should 
be planned especially for Juniors, not for use by the whole 
school. 

The Junior Course in the Departmental Graded Series 
somewhat meets this ideal; it is recommended for use until 
the new curriculum, now under way, is ready. 

Memory selections. These should include certain 
hymns, passages of Scripture, perhaps one or two selec- 
tions of religious poetry. The memory work should grow 
out of the lesson course, or out of some project or study. 
There should not be, as is the case in some churches, a 
course of memory work which has no relationship to any- 
thing else that is being studied or done. 

Only so much should be taught as can be developed care- 
fully by means of pictures, stories, and discussion. Other- 
wise the memory selections are apt to be just a collection of 
words, to be learned because they are required and forgotten 
as soon as the need for them is past. 

In the Junior Departmental Quarterly the memory selec- 


28 


THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 
tions will be suggested each quarter, in connection with the 
lessons of the course. 

Stories. During his Junior years in the Church school 
the Junior should hear many stories. Of course, some of 
these he will get in his lesson courses, but others should be 
added at other times. Idealistic stories, missionary stories, 
stories from real life, both of to-day and from history, are 
desirable. sate 

Missionary and world friendship instruction and train- 
ing. This will include stories of boys and girls of other 
races; studies of the contributions of other races to the 
civilization of the world; stories of the great missionaries 
and of missionary adventure; short mission study enterprises 
—all so chosen and presented as to give Juniors a real appre- 
ciation of the worth of other peoples, to do away with any 
tendency to feel superior, and to make possible an attitude 
that will give rise to simple, Christian friendliness. 

A special pamphlet, listed in the bibliography, has been 
prepared for the use of Junior leaders in giving missionary 
instruction. | 

Lessons about prayer. While the Junior will learn 
most about prayer as he experiences it, nevertheless, he 
should know something of the meaning and purpose of 
prayer in order that he may be intelligent about it. This 
may take the form of simple discussions on ‘‘What Prayer 
Is,” “How We Should Pray,” ‘““What to Pray for,” and the 
like. 

Studies in nature. Courses for little children include 
many nature stories, but for Juniors not many are given. Yet 
there is no better way of helping a Junior to see the power 
and majesty of God than through an observation of nature, 
and nothing is better than nature study to help Juniors to 
gain an understanding and appreciation of law in God’s uni- 
verse. To learn that every animal, every tree and flower, 
lives according to the laws governing its growth helps the 
Junior to see that God is a God of law, that we live in a 
world governed by law, with a resulting appreciation that 
can be used to develop a law-abiding spirit. | 


29 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 





Nature study can be done to some extent in the classroom, 
but it is better far to take the children during the week on 
a hike into the fields and woods to do their studying at first 
hand. The average Junior leader can, by a little reading and 
study, get enough information to help Juniors in their obser- 
vations. Material that will be helpful is suggested in the 
bibliography. The Nature Magazine, published in Washing- 
ton, D. C., will be unusually helpful. 

Information about the Church and its work; stories 
from Church history. Juniors are too young for Church 
history as such, but there are many interesting stories from 
Church history that they will enjoy. They should become 
acquainted with some of the heroic characters who gave 
their lives in the cause of the Church. This will lay the 
foundation for a right attitude toward the Church before 
they meet the skeptical and unfriendly attitude so common 
to-day. They should know something of the work the 
Church is doing at home and abroad: how the Church spends 
its funds and the causes it supports; they should also know 
something about the budget of their own church: how it is 
made up and spent. 

Stories about the history of the Bible. It always adds 
to their appreciation of the Bible when Juniors learn some- 
thing of its development and preservation through the cen- 
turies. This history should be very simple, much of it given 
in story form. Material for these stories is suggested in the 
bibliography. 

Bible geography. A study of the land in which Jesus 
lived gives reality to Bible lessons and to the life of Christ. 
It also gives a better background for all Bible study. Books 
are suggested in the bibliography. 

Religious art. Truth comes to the mind and heart of 
the Junior in various ways. One is by a study of religious 
pictures. It is possible to get, at very reasonable prices, 
copies of many of the great masterpieces. Frequent use 
should be made of such pictures during the Junior 
years. 

Material from real life. There is much teaching mate- 


30 


THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 





rial in life, as it goes on all about us, for the observant leader 
of Juniors. It is found in world situations, happenings 
in the community, situations coming up in the little group 
which the leader has in charge. 

Juniors are more aware of current questions of public 
interest than teachers think. Prohibition, for instance, has 
its “for” and “against” adherents among the Juniors—echoes, 
of course, of adult opinions. There are other questions that 
they should be interested in—peace, for instance; our duty 
as a strong and wealthy nation to other nations. Time 
and time again the Junior leader who watches and listens 
will find opportunities to help her group to think in the right 
way about these things. 

All Christian people were deeply interested some time ago 
in the story of the finding of the cup, in its beautiful con- 
tainer, which those who made a study of it felt might be the 
Grail. How many Junior leaders thought to tell the story 
to their Juniors? Yet one group of Juniors talked about it 
and listened with reverent interest all through one Sunday 
morning, because their leader, reading the story in The 
Ladies’ Home Journal, was keen enough to see in it material 
for her boys and girls. 

Discrimination must be used, of course, in selecting mate- 
rial. Not all that may come to the leader’s attention is suit- 
able for Juniors. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


The Departmental Graded Lessons: Junior Course: 
Teacher’s and pupil’s Quarterly, pupil’s Notebook. 

The Westminster Textbooks of Religious Education: 
teacher’s and pupil’s texts. These are in textbook form and 
contain a year’s work. They are based on the Departmental 
Graded Lesson outlines and are prepared for use in week- 
day religious schools; they contain material for the Sunday 
as well as for the week-day sessions. They suggest a pro- 
gram of information, worship, and activities. 

“Juniors, World Friendship, and Missions,” Stooker. 
A pamphlet suggesting methods and materials, as well as 


31 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 





the principles underlying the instruction of Juniors in mis- 
sions and world friendship. It is unusually good. 

Mission study courses for Juniors on different races and 
countries at home and abroad. New each year. 

“Missionary Education of Juniors,” Hutton. 

“World-Friendship Through the Church School,” Lobin- 
g1er. 

“Projects in World-Friendship,’ Lobingier. 

“God’s Laws of Life,” St. John and Elitharp. A series 
of nature studies showing God’s law in nature. 

“The Geography of Bible Lands,” Crosby. 

“A Travel Book for Juniors,’ Hanson. 

Both of these books are on the geography, manners, and 
customs of people in Palestine. The latter is an interesting 
reading book for Juniors. 

“The Story of Our Bible,” Hunting. 

A List of Stories for Juniors. (Free.) 

Sources for Pictures and Other Material. (Free.) 

Nature Magazine, Washington, D. C. 


WORSHIP 


AIMS 
To deepen the sense of fellowship with God and 
with Christ. 
To give dynamic to ideals. 
To develop the spirit and promote the habit of 
worship. 

Juniors are not naturally so worshipful as are children of 
earlier years. But they do have moments of worship. Such 
moments do not always come in the formal worship service. 
A worker was talking with a group of Juniors about music 
and how it first came into the world. Step by step they 
retraced in their thinking the various phases of the develop- 
ment of music, getting back finally to the verse, “When the 
morning stars sang together.” As this verse was given and 
the Juniors pondered its meaning, there came a feeling of 
worship so definite and clear that the group with their leader 
sat quite silent. Sometimes on walks moments of worship 


32 


THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 


come, and often when a worth-while story has been told a 
feeling of worship may follow. One of the aims of worship 
is to foster this tendency to worship, until the Junior has 
the habit of worship. 

Worship often gives dynamic to ideals. Through quiet 
and normal worship services, vague purposes, hazy ideals, 
may be crystallized in a way which later influences conduct. 
Not that worship services should unduly stir the Junior 
emotionally ; that would be unfortunate. But true worship 
does reach the feelings, though very quietly, and often brings 
about just such results as have been suggested. 

It is possible for a Junior to have a sense of companion- 
ship with God, and worship helps to develop this. 

The Junior has the impulse to worship, but he does not 
know how to worship. He needs training in the use of wor- 
ship materials and in the ways of worship. As he becomes 
familiar with the hymns, prayers, and Scripture used in wor- 
ship, and with the forms of worship, it will be easier for 
him to express himself in worship, even when worshiping 
alone. 

The materials of worship. If worship is to mean any- 
thing to the Junior, the materials of worship should be care- 
fully chosen. Hymns should be pretty largely an expression 
of his needs and aspirations. Certain tests should be applied to 
most of the hymns chosen for the Juniors. “Can the Junior 
mean the hymn he is asked to sing.” If it is almost entirely 
outside his experience and understanding, so that he cannot 
really mean what he sings, there is pretty good reason for 
omitting it from the Junior collection. Such a hymn as 
“Love Lifted Me” with its “I was sinking deep in sin’ has 
no place in Junior experience. There are some exceptions to 
this rule, of course; some of the great hymns of the Church, 
beautiful in music and words and great in thought, should 
be included because of what they will mean to the Junior 
later on. “Is it a worth-while hymn?” is another test. This 
will exclude trashy hymns, cheap in words, music, and 
thought, and not really worshipful at all. The third test 
is “Do words and music go together?” Hymns should be 


33 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


within the range of Junior voices, and while the Junior has 
a pretty good range, the hymns which are too high and too 
low should be excluded. 

The use of instrumental music at the beginning of the 
worship service is good. Brief selections from some of 
the great musical compositions may be used. The story of the 
composition may be told to the Juniors and the theme pointed 
out; then it may be played for several Sundays in succession, 
thus helping them to become familiar with it. Popular 
music is, after all, the music we know the best. If there 
is no piano a victrola may be used, and there are inexpensive 
victrolas for such purposes. 

An essential part of worship is prayer. It is important 
that the prayer in the worship service be meaningful for the 
Juniors. Sometimes the Juniors may choose their own sub- 
ject for prayer. If they do this, they are more apt to fol- 
low the prayer. The leader who prays for a group of Juniors 
should remember to make prayers brief and definite. The 
Junior’s attention does not include many things at one time. 
A prayer which contains many requests or which is too long 
is not followed by the Juniors. Better is the prayer of four 
or five short sentences. 

The Lord’s Prayer should not be used too frequently, 
since Juniors tend to say it thoughtlessly. They should know 
it and it should be explained to them as clearly as possible, 
but it should be used only once in a while. 

Small groups of Juniors may unite in writing a prayer. 
Precede the writing of the prayer by a discussion of what 
should be in a prayer for a worship service for Juniors. 
Then, if it is desired, each Junior may write a prayer. These 
may be discussed and compared and a composite prayer 
made. This is then given to the leader and used in the 
services for the group. 

The prayer period in the worship service may sometimes 
be preceded by a prayer hymn. Once in a while the prayer 
period may be preceded by discussion. 

While prayer may come at stated times in the worship 
service, there will always be to the observant and sensitive 


34 


THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 


leader of Juniors times when prayer is appropriate and in 
order because the Juniors are ready for it. 

It often helps to have little discussions on prayer. A group 
of girls having such a series of discussions with a young 
Junior teacher developed an entirely different attitude toward 
prayer. They began to see that prayer is vital, that it can 
mean something in the life of an individual and may really 
bring the strength to live in the right way. After that the 
prayer times in their own group were different. 

Since giving an offering is an act of worship the offering 
service should be worshipful. The offering should be taken 
in a quiet, reverent fashion, and received with prayer or a 
prayer song. | 

Building the worship service. Build the worship serv- 
ice around some theme or thought. Such themes as loyalty, 
reverence, gratitude, good will, sharing, and seasonal themes, 
Faster, Christmas, Thanksgiving, are good. Each theme may 
be followed for a month or six weeks. Edna Crandall, in 
“A Curriculum of Worship for the Junior Church School,” 
follows a theme for a month, with a slightly different em- 
phasis each week. Having chosen the theme, the hymn, 
prayer, and Scripture, should all be related to it as in the 
worship service which follows. 


A CHRISTMAS WorSHIP SERVICE 


Quiet Music. 
OPENING Hymn: “Holy, Holy, Holy.” (First stanza only.) 
CALL TO WorsuHIP: “TI will bless Jehovah at all times: 
His praise shall continually be in my 
mouth. 
Oh, magnify Jehovah with me, 
And let us exalt his name together.” 
RESPONSE: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts! 
Heaven and earth are full of thee! 
Heaven and earth are praising thee, 
O Lord most high.” 
(Chorus of “Day Is Dying in the West.”) 


35 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


PRAYER: By leader. 
ScrIPTURE READING oR Recitation: Luke 2: 8-20. 
Hymn: “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” 
OFFERING SERVICE: Offering brought to the front by Juniors. 
“Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, coming 
down from the Father.” 
“Freely ye received, freely give.’ 
OFFERING Sonc: “Since my heavenly Father 
Gives me everything, 
Lovingly and gladly 
Now my gift I bring.” 
CHRISTMAS STORY. 
Hymn: “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” 


The worship service may occasionally find its climax in a 
story, but the practice of telling a story with every worship 
service is not good. It is hard to find enough stories of 
sufficient worth to be used in connection with worship, since 
stories for this purpose should be of a high type. There 
are also the limitations of time. At the Christmas season 
it is well to use a number of Christmas stories, and at Easter, 
stories in preparation for the Easter season. 

All the materials used in the worship service should be 
familiar. New hymns, new Scripture, should be learned at 
another time. It is hardly possible for the Juniors to worship 
and at the same time use new and unfamiliar materials. 
Memory drills, matters of business, announcements have no 
place in the worship service. It is a time when everything 
that tends to distract should be eliminated. : 

Juniors may occasionally be given the opportunity to pre- 
pare and conduct a worship service. Such services will not 
be so complete or so well organized as the service the leader 
prepares, but they will mean a great deal to the Juniors be- 
cause they are their own. 

Conducting the worship service. The leader who con- 
ducts the worship service must know what she is going to 
do and do it in the quietest way possible. The service should 


36 


THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 


be written and a copy provided for the pianist. Anything 
needed during the worship service should be at hand. 
People should not be permitted to enter the room during the 
service. At a signal teachers and children should be ready 
for the worship service which begins with the opening music. 
More unity in worship will be secured when the Juniors sit 
in a body than when they are scattered about the room at 
their class tables. If the Junior room does not have separate 
classrooms, then the class tables should be arranged around 
the sides and the back of the room, leaving space in the cen- 
ter for worship. Do not expect Juniors to hold a hymnal, 
a Bible, and perhaps a hat or cap, and then worship. Do not 
expect Juniors to worship if they are physically uneasy, if 
they are seated onchairs that are too high, or uncomfortable, 
or if the room-is too cold or too hot, or if the air is bad. 

The leader of the worship service should see to it that her 
voice, while clear, is not loud or shrill, thereby making her 
hearers nervous and fidgety. Her manner should be quiet 
and reverent. 

Worship services should be filed in a loose-leaf notebook. 
Make notations as to the way in which the new service was 
received by the Juniors. Note the services that gave special 
pleasure ; the worship materials that were especially enjoyed. 
By going over the book itis easy to discover how much 
repetition of hymns, Scripture selections, and so forth, is 
occurring. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

“The Junior Hymnal.” Ready in February, 1927. 

“Training Juniors in Worship,” Jones. 

“Hymn Stories” (for Juniors), Colson. 

“A Curriculum of Worship for the Junior Church School,” 
Crandall. 


ACTIVITIES 


AIMS 


To enable Juniors to learn in the way that is easi- 
est and most natural for them, namely, by doing. 

To develop a spirit of helpfulness and joy in giv- 
ing and serving. 


37 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


To develop an attitude of Christlike friendliness 
to all classes and races through contact with them 
and friendly service for them. 


Since the Junior is first of all and all the time a doer it 
follows that he learns best by doing. A group of Juniors 
were to study the life of Christ. They had done so several 
times in a very haphazard, uninteresting sort of way. While 
they really knew little about the life of Christ, they felt that 
they knew a great deal, and they brought to this study little 
interest. They began by a study of pictures, to help them 
to know the manners and customs of the people in the land 
where Jesus lived. Not a word of instruction was given. 
As they studied, very informally, the many pictures that their 
teacher secured for them, they became deeply interested 
in the people of Jesus’ land. Presently there developed the 
idea of making a village much like the village in which Jesus 
lived. This meant more picture study and reading in order 
to discover what sort of houses the people lived in, how they 
dressed, what furnishings they had in their houses, what cook- 
ing utensils they used. Long ago the Juniors had forgotten 
that they were “tired of studying the life of Christ.” They 
threw themselves into the new task with an ardor that never 
flagged through eight or ten weeks. Part way through the 
undertaking they were ready to listen to some of the very 
stories they had not wanted to hear again, because of their 
new-found interest in the whole subject. They readily 
learned a psalm that the teacher said Jesus had probably 
learned when he was a boy. In that enterprise, before it was 
ended, they not only made a very good village but they 
heard stories of Jesus’ life, studied many pictures, learned 
much about his mode of living, studied one or two memory 
passages, and learned some hymns. The values they got in 
the way of a deeper appreciation of the life of Jesus and 
their own attitude toward his life and work could not be 
calculated. All this because, instead of being required to 
listen, they were permitted to do! 

When a Junior learns by doing he always learns with 
greater interest and enthusiasm and more surely than by 


38 


THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 


listening, but the reason for activity in religious education 
is more important than just ease in learning. The Junior 
learns to live, as indeed we all do, by a constant process of 
adjusting himself to the various situations that arise in his 
life. If he makes the right adjustments, or responses, more 
or less habitually, he develops desirable qualities of character ; 
if he constantly makes the wrong responses, his development 
is not so satisfactory. Juniors working together in some 
activity not only learn to carry through the particular thing 
they have in hand but they learn the more important lessons 
of cooperating with each other, of sharing, of helping, of 
giving way to the ideas and plans of others. 

A group of Junior boys troubled their teacher because they 
were so very selfish. One day she suggested that they give a 
party for another group. At first they were not especially 
interested, preferring a party just for themselves. Later 
on they took up the idea with some interest and became more 
delighted with it as they went on. They decided that each 
boy would plan one game which he would direct the group 
in playing. As was to be expected, most of the games 
chosen were those they liked to play, but as they went on with 
their planning they began to think more in terms of the 
girls’ liking (for there were girls in the group), and added 
of their own accord two or three games that they knew 
the girls liked. When they discussed refreshments the 
teacher offered to buy the ice cream, an offer which was very 
gladly accepted. Later they decided that if they were going 
to give a party they should assume full responsibility and so 
they decided to pay for the ice cream themselves. The 
teacher asked about serving the refreshments, just hinting 
that it might be nice to have a table somewhat decorated and 
some dishes and silverware. Said Charles, “They ought to 
be thankful to have a party and ice cream without all those 
fixings.” The teacher made no comment. Later they de- 
cided to bring flowers, to borrow the Ladies’ Aid dishes, and 
to fix up the table. The teacher offered to bring a paper 
tablecloth and napkins very prettily decorated which they 
accepted as her contribution. When all the plans were made 


39 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


the teacher asked something about clearing away after the 
party was over. Ernest said, very indignantly, “Well, I 
should think if we give them a party, the least the girls can 
do is to wash the dishes afterward.” And in this he was very 
heartily echoed by all the boys. ; 

The party came off very successfully, the boys being 
thoughtful and courteous hosts—surprisingly so, the leader 
thought, remembering their habitual rudeness and selfishness. 
When the party was all over one of the girls rising from the 
table said: “The boys have given us a nice party. I think 
the least we can do to show our appreciation is to wash the 
dishes.” Ernest jumping to his feet, shouted: “Well, when 
we givea party we don’t expect our guests to do the dishes. 
Come on, fellows. You girls go out and play until we have 
cleared up.” 

Some lessons were learned by those boys as to how to 
give a party and how to treat their guests, but far finer les- 
sons of courtesy, thoughtfulness, and consideration for others 
were learned also, and revealed themselves in the remaining 
weeks of the session of that class. 

A group of Juniors dramatizing a story or carrying out a 
project learn to share ideas, to share tools, to help each other ; 
they learn to cooperate in accomplishing a group purpose; 
and they learn to take their share of responsibility and hard- 
ship. They learn to subordinate self a tiny bit. In other 
words, activities, if they are at all real, create situations in 
which the child has a chance to learn real life lessons. 

It is essential that all activities for Juniors should have 
a purpose that the Juniors can recognize as being of value. 
Many of the activities heretofore suggested for Juniors have 
not been worth while because they have had no real value and 
the Junior has felt this fact. Some churches have organized 
what is known as a Junior church, with elders, deacons, 
trustees, and the complete organization of the adult church. 
This is a type of thing that is apt to be quite useless unless 
real purposes, duties, and responsibilities are found for the 
Junior officials. If this is not done, they soon feel the 
emptiness of the office and their interest wanes. 


40 


THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 


A group of Juniors in a Vacation School made a model 
of the tabernacle, each child doing a part of the work. Only 
perfect work was accepted. When the tabernacle was finished 
it was presented to the Junior Department of the church and 
was used by successive groups of Juniors when they came to 
those studies in their course that had to do with the tabernacle. 
The pride of these Juniors in this particular bit of work 
was chiefly in the fact that long after it was finished it was of 
use in the church. 

Handwork. There are many forms of handwork for 
Juniors: map-drawing, making relief maps of paper pulp or 
in sand, electric maps, pictorial maps; poster-making, such as 
missionary posters, posters illustrating Bible stories, hymns, 
or passages of Scripture, nature posters; drawing and paint- 
ing; making models, such as a model of an Oriental sheep- 
fold, well, or house, to be used by the teachers for illustrative 
purposes ; setting up paper or cardboard villages, or making 
sand-table displays to show the life of various peoples ; dress- 
ing dolls to show costumes of boys and girls around the 
world; making models for use in mission study; notebook 
work; writing stories. 

These types of handwork are given by way of sugges- 
tion. They do not call for special equipment or special skill 
on the part of the leader. If the leader will do a little 
studying, then make the desired object before the Juniors 
try to do so (this is the only way to find out all the problems 
involved), she can manage most of the work suggested here, 
or elsewhere, for that matter. The importance of this rule 
should not be overlooked. 

Dramatization. Dramatization is another activity of 
value in the religious education of Juniors. It gives the 
Junior opportunity for self-expression. Playing circus, In- 
dian, parade, are all forms of play dramatization in which the 
younger Juniors, at least, indulge pretty freely. A Junior 
playing the part of a character heroic and good can feel the 
emotions which result from such action, often thus developing 
new and better attitudes. Dramatization helps to develop 
initiative and confidence. It has the charm of being ex- 


41 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


tremely interesting. Dramatizing Bible stories often rouses a 
deeper interest in them. 

Except for the play dramatizations suggested above Juniors 
like the more formal type of dramatization. They do not 
like to hear a story and then be asked to play it in a very 
informal way as the Beginners or Primary children do, for 
they cannot lose themselves in the story and actually become the 
characters they portray, as is the case with younger children. 
They always know that they are playing a part, even though 
the emotions of the part are felt. They do enjoy, however, 
working out in a more careful way Bible stories and mis- 
sionary stories and incidents, and giving some of the simple 
dramatizations that are already in written form. They quite 
enjoy giving a dramatization publicly although they should 
not do so too frequently. 

In helping the Juniors to dramatize certain things should 
be kept in mind. There should be no attempt to select the 
brightest and best children for the leading parts, since the 
actual production is the last consideration. Dramatization is 
always for the purpose of giving Juniors certain experiences 
and opportunities, and the slower and less capable Juniors 
need these even more than do the brighter children. The at- 
tention of the children should be kept always on the story 
and its interpretation, not upon themselves as participants. 
For instance, if it is necessary to make a suggestion to a 
child taking a certain part, it is better to say, “What do you 
think [naming the character in the story] would 
have done ?’’—thereby keeping attention on the story. Do as 
little directing as possible, endeavoring always to have the 
Juniors make the comments and criticisms for each other. 
Get such suggestions and criticisms by means of questions. 

When a dramatization is given publicly it will help the 
Juniors if they wear costumes. Very simple costumes are all 
that is necessary and it is good to let the children wear them 
quite frequently in the rehearsals because they tend to create 
atmosphere, and they also tend to give the Juniors greater 
ease in working out the story. Scenery is not necessary and 
accessories if any are used should be very simple. Wherever 


42 





THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 


possible, costumes and accessories should be made by the chil- 
dren since this is all a part of the project. 

Dramatization, like everything else, can be overdone. In 
one Vacation School the children dramatized in pantomime, in 
the crudest way, a Bible story every day. There was much 
laughter for some of the dramatizations were funny. Not 
one developed reverence for the truth of the story. The 
dramatizations did not help the children, since the brightest 
and most forward children always took the leading parts. 
All the characters implicitly followed the directions of the 
leaders so there was no chance for thought and study on the 
part of the pupils. In this case dramatization was doing 
decided harm. It cannot be too strongly stated that whenever 
through dramatization children are led to think of themselves, 
their skill, their cleverness, great harm has been done. Only 
as dramatization tends to give the children opportunities for 
self-expression, to inspire initiative and confidence, to develop 
right attitudes, and only as it brings real appreciation of the 
story or the incident dramatized is it of real worth. 

A very interesting piece of work for a group of Juniors 
whose leader is willing to give the time is that of writing a 
dramatization of a Bible or missionary story. This can be 
done by first telling the story to the children in such a way 
that the desired scenes in the story stand out. After the story 
has been told, the children may decide how many scenes are 
in the story. The scenes are then listed, and the first scene is 
played, the children making up their own dialogue. Let all 
the children have many chances to play each part, the group 
finally voting on the one who does it in the best way. When 
the dramatization has gone on long enough so that the scenes 
are fairly set, and the action is also becoming clearer, the 
Juniors may write the dialogue, with help from their teacher. 
The scenes may be practiced again and again and the writing 
worked over as the children see places where improvement 
can be made. If it is to be given before a group the costumes 
and accessories may be made by the groups. This will take 
several weeks, but it is a good project for the week-day or 
Vacation School, or for the Sunday-school teacher or leader 


43 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


of a missionary group who is willing to give the extra time 
to her pupils. 

For example, some in a group of Juniors became interested 
in the Southern Mountains through a missionary who spoke 
in the church service. They asked questions in their Light — 
Bearers’ meeting, so, the next week, the leader told them the 
story, “For the Sake of Learnin’.” They enjoyed it 
thoroughly, talked about it, and finally asked to dramatize it. 
The method followed was similar to that given above. The 
children also looked up information and pictures on the 
mountain people. They used these in a poster to announce 
their play and also for a brief talk before the performance 
which was given at a mid-week church service. 

Service enterprises. These are invaluable for Juniors 
and are possible even in the smallest church. They are es- 
pecially interesting if the Juniors can choose what they will 
do. Some types of service are suggested but Junior leaders 
can discover interesting and purposeful enterprises in their 
own church and community if they are on the watch for them. 

1. Service in the church: Carrying home lesson papers to 
absentees in the Beginners and Primary Departments ; being 
messengers for the various department superintendents and 
the pastor ; making the models for illustrative use in teaching 
as suggested under handwork; helping to decorate the church 
for special occasions ; helping in Beginners and Primary De- 
partments in presession period; helping the Cradle Roll su- 
perintendent at a Cradle Roll party; bringing flowers for the 
pulpit ; delivering invitations to special services; entertaining 
children of another department; entertaining parents; mak- 
ing a missionary exhibit and inviting parents to see it; buy- 
ing a gift, flag, picture, or the like, for another department ; 
putting Department room in order after use; planning a party 
of missionary games for another group; building a library 
of missionary reading books and missionary curios. 

2. Service in the community: Making puzzles and scrap- 
books, mounting pictures for children in hospitals; making 
special gifts for hospitals, orphanages, homes for the aged, at 
Christmas ; selling Red Cross seals; giving an occasional en- 


44 


THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 


tertainment for the inmates of an orphanage or home for the 
aged; singing carols at Christmas; giving a party for the 
children of an orphanage or nursery; gathering flowers to be 
sent to the children of a city day nursery or kindergarten ; 
giving money for missionary work; participating in com- 
munity health week or clean-up week; planning a party for 
children of other races in the community. 

3. Missionary service: Making gifts for mission boxes; 
making scrapbooks showing phases of American life, to be 
sent to foreign mission stations ; sending pictures, magazines, 
books, or little gifts to children in home mission schools; giv- 
ing money for missionary work; making and using a mis- 
sionary prayer calendar. 

These are given merely by way of suggestion. Needless 
to say, any project should be undertaken only after the 
Juniors know enough about the proposed enterprise to be 
really interested in it. If they are going to plan a party for 
children of another race or children in an orphanage they need 
to know something about the children so that there will be 
a feeling of interest and friendship. If rural children are to 
send flowers to city children they ought to know what joy 
flowers will bring to city boys and girls. Some country boys 
sent enough holly one Christmas to give each child in a cer- 
tain Junior Department a bit. It was intensely appreciated, 
the letters of thanks were cordial, and there was a keen 
desire to reciprocate. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


“Dramatization in the Church School,” Miller. 
“Dramatization of Bible Stories,’ Miller. 
“Graded Social Service in the Church School,” Hutchins. 


Play. Every program of religious education for Juniors 
must make place for play, for it is highly essential that the 
Juniors have a normal development in play. They need a ° 
wholesome play life which they thoroughly enjoy in the right 
way. Attitudes and habits are formed in play. Therefore, 
it is important that the Junior’s play group is of the right 
sort. A child who plays with a group in which cheating, 


45 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


lying, and unkindness are common is apt to develop those 
qualities unless another and stronger force comes into his 
life. The boy who plays with the group in which fairness, 
courage, cheerful acceptance of hardships, kindness, and 
helpfulness are practiced day by day is likely to develop those 
qualities. For play is always action, physical or mental, 
and it is usually of absorbing interest ; since we tend to grow 
character faster, if one may use such a term, in action which 
calls forth whole-hearted response, play is very fruitful in 
its development of character traits. 

1. Junior play hours. The Junior leader should play with 
her children. There may be play hours, when the children 
come together with their teacher just to play. Indeed, many 
of the more formal parties, with their elaborate refreshments, 
should give way to the simple playtimes. In such play hours, 
let the Juniors make the plans. The teacher will take her place 
in the play group as one of it, not as the superior officer. She 
will find, at once, as she begins to study the group, that play 
is most prolific in the production of what we call “life situa- 
tions.” In other words, arguments, differences of opinion, 
mishaps, chances to cheat or be fair, to share or be selfish, 
to be brave or cowardly, constantly arise. She will have the 
opportunity, as the member of the group who has had more 
experience, to guide the children in these situations. 

Play may be used to give the children an appreciation of 
children of other races, for nothing so develops mutual re- 
spect and understanding as play, and it is well to arrange 
if possible some play hours together. A group of boys who 
invited a group of Negro boys to play with them, and learned 
that the colored group had the better baseball player, found 
their distrust changing to admiration. 

A better understanding of children of other races may be 
gained by playing their games, since it is not always possible 
to arrange playtimes together. A series of pamphlets listed 
in the bibliography gives the games of various nations, with 
suggestions as to play hours. 

_ In rural schools, play hours are especially needed, for the 
child in the country often suffers a lack of play opportunities. 


46 


THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 





He does not have enough opportunities to play with other 
boys and girls and he does not know a sufficient variety of 
games. Here is where the rural church can make a contri- 
bution to the lives of boys and girls. The children can gather 
at certain times for play with their leaders. New games 
should be taught. The Vacation School in the rural church 
should emphasize play, as should the week-day religious 
school. Remember that the child who does not play will lose 
something that will affect him all his life. 

Junior leaders should sympathetically help their boys and 
girls in their play life. If they discover that some children 
are not happy in the play group, it should be their earnest 
effort tactfully to help such children to adjust themselves. 
Those who are shy may be helped to overcome their shyness 
and timidity, being encouraged to suggest games, to tell how 
games may be played, to take a more leading part in play. If 
some are quarrelsome, perhaps the teacher can help them to 
see the wastefulness of fighting or argument. In the leaflet, 
“Why Play?’ note how the leader helped her boys to see 
this. 

Some of the play hours may take the form of walks to 
discover flowers or to study birds or trees. Sometimes 
luncheon or supper may be taken. If a fire is built and some- 
thing is cooked, no matter what, it will be all the more fun. 
If a fire is made the leader will be sure to see that the 
Juniors put it out very carefully; also that the place is made 
tidy, since this is one of the lessons to be learned on a hike 
or picnic. | 

The play can often be an enterprise involving really hard 
work but since it is entered into in the spirit of play it is fun 
to Juniors. 

Often the church must provide, or must codperate in pro- 
viding, a place for the children to play. While it is true that 
cities are becoming more careful about providing play places 
for children, there are still many that provide no play places. 
In the smaller towns, in suburban communities, and in the 
open country, there is often no play place. Where this is 
the case, the churches should get together and, perhaps in co- 


47 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


operation with the public school and the community, see to 
it that a play place is provided for the children. It is not at 
all necessary to have elaborate equipment. Some equipment, 
such as swings, tennis court, croquet ground, will be helpful 
but not absolutely necessary. The children are thankful for 
just a place to play. 

Where there is a play center to which many children go, it 
is advisable to have supervision, not supervision in the sense 
that the children are directed all day long, but supervision 
in the sense that there is some one to watch, to care for 
younger children, to see that all the children have a chance to 
play happily, and to be ready to make suggestions when neces- 
sary. A too strictly supervised play group will soon result in 
the departure of the children, for children like freedom in 
play and they are entitled to have it. 

As has been said before, the Vacation School and the 
week-day religious school, should give large place to play. It 
must be remembered that in play the situations arise which 
give the greatest opportunities for guidance in the practice of 
Christian living. 

A special pamphlet, “Why Play?” revealing the opportu- 
nities for religious training through play is now ready for 
Junior leaders. It is really the actual experience of a Junior 
leader with a group of Juniors at play. 

2. The play approach to religious training of Juniors. 
“Let’s play” are magic words that open doors to the Junior’s 
mind and heart. Play does not necessarily mean games, but 
it always means something interesting, something the Junior 
likes to do. If he likes it, he will often work harder at it, 
and give it closer attention, than many of us who are grown 
old and serious bring to our work. 

At this writing a Vacation School is in session and the 
Juniors are “discovering,” with their teacher, what it means 
to beaknight. They are making for themselves knights’ cos- 
tumes. The girls are making the shields for the boys and the 
boys are designing a knight’s helmet, the best design, by vote, 
being used by all. Each boy wears a rough model of the hel- 
met he has designed and the others study it critically, asking 


48 


THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 


questions and commenting. It is hot, even in the big room 
where they are at work, but not one of the Juniors seems 
to think of the heat. Finally the best pattern, after much in- 
terested discussion, is chosen and they get to work. Many 
of them beg permission to take their helmets home to finish 
them there. It is hard work, for the helmets are not easy to 
make, but to the Junior it is play. 

Another group of children built a missionary station which 
has been reported in “Friendship Center in China,” by 
Stooker and Hill. They worked very hard, read many books 
on China, had some interesting dramatizations, yet to them 
it was play. 

It is possible for many Junior leaders to follow the play 
‘approach in training Juniors. In Vacation School, in week- 
day schools of religion, in missionary societies, everywhere, 
indeed, the play approach to religious education should be 
used. 

What do we mean by the play approach? Not play, as 
adults understand play. Anyone watching a group of children 
at play will soon discover what the Junior means by play. 
First, it is having a good time. He may be working very 
hard as he helps to build a dam over a creek, or a shack for 
the crowd, but he wants to do it. Just as long as it is fun, 
and is interesting, it is play to him. Second, it is usually 
something he has chosen himself, or with his group. It has 
not been forced upon him. Third, he is using his own ideas 
and doing it in his own way, or his group are doing it in their 
way, with much wordy argument. So there are at least three 
characteristics of the play activities of Juniors: They are 
self-chosen and interesting; the Junior uses his own ideas in 
developing them; there is freedom and utmost informality. 
Granted all these, no matter how hard the Junior works, it is 
play. 

In the week-day sessions of the Junior group, the play 
approach may be largely used. Does this mean that there will 
be no religious instruction? Not at all. There will be more 
religious training given than in the more formal sessions of 
the school although it will not be given in the same way. 


49 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 





But the Juniors will have more opportunities to elect what 
they will do, more initiative in developing their ideas, and 
more freedom and informality. If you read “Why Play?” 
you will discover that the Juniors who planned the Christmas 
party worked very hard, but, in their words, “What fun!” 

We must increasingly lay hold upon this approach to the 
religious training of children. To aid Junior leaders in using 
it in their week-day meetings, a program which embodies 
these principles is offered. 

“Builders of the Trail” is a program planned to correlate, 
as far as possible, the activities of the church, home, and 
school, for the purposes of religious education. It is not 
planned to take the place of curriculums for the week-day or 
Sunday school, or of other Junior organizations, but rather 
to supplement and strengthen the work of all the organiza- 
tions, especially in the realm of activities. It is for use during 
the week and may be used by a Junior class or Department, 
or society, or by the entire group of Juniors in the church. 
When it is used by the entire group it becomes an excellent 
way of correlating the work of all the agencies touching 
Junior life. 

The program is based on certain principles which should 
hold in Junior work. It is developed entirely from the stand- 
point of Junior boys and girls. Their interests and needs 
are clearly recognized and met. Since the Junior learns so 
largely by doing, the program gives large place to activities 
that are naturally interesting to the Junior and that provide 
for him a happy, wholesome life. 

Since the child of this age has initiative and some desire for 
leadership, the program gives opportunity for choices and 
decisions and the expression of leadership ability. 

Because Juniors are eager to achieve, and to have their 
achievements recognized, a simple system of recognition by 
the use of ranks or degrees is a part of the plan. Within 
each rank or degree a series of achievements large enough 
to permit a wide range of choice is given. 

The program is informal so that churches of various cir- 
cumstances may adapt it to their own use, and also that 


50 


THE JUNIOR PROGRAM 


Junior leaders may adapt it to meet the particular needs of 
their Juniors. 
This program will be ready about the middle of November. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


“Why Play?’ Acheson. 

Some play experiences with Juniors showing the social, the 
religious, and the moral values in play. 

“Play in Education,” Lee. 

“Games,” Draper. 

“Games for the Playground, Home, School, and Gym- 
nasium,” Bancroft. 

“Play Hours”: Persia, Syria, India, Africa, Philippine 
Islands, Siam, China, Japan, Mexico, South America, Czecho- 
Slovakia, All America. 

Pamphlets giving the games of these countries, with a pro- 
gram for a play hour. 


51 


CHAPTER III 
ORGANIZATION FOR THE JUNIOR GROUP 


AS) RGANIZATION is important, for upon it depends 
Bi much of the success of Junior work. The first 
KY step in organization is the appointment of a Junior 
' Committee or Cabinet. If there is a Church 
Council of Religious Education the Cabinet will be ap- 
pointed by the Council and will be a subcommittee of the 
Council. If there is no Council the pastor and other officials 
of the Church school may appoint the Cabinet. 

Every Junior organization should be represented on the 
Junior Cabinet, without exception, since the only way really 
to correlate the work of the Junior group is to have it under 
the direction of such an organization as the Cabinet. There 
may be one or more representatives from each of the Junior 
organizations and the pastor and the director of religious 
education will be ex officio members of the Cabinet. 

It will be helpful to have one person supervise the work of 
the whole Junior group. This will not in any way lessen the 
duties and responsibilities of the Department superintendents 
and of leaders of Junior societies, since the duty of the super- 
visor will be to keep in touch with the work as a whole and 
not to manage any organization. The supervisor should be 
elected by the Junior Cabinet. It will be better to select some 
one not already in charge of an organization, for if such a 
leader does take the office, she will have to give up her other 
work unless the Junior group is very small indeed for she 
will be kept busy overseeing all the work. 

The supervisor will lead the committee in studying the 
Junior program as a whole, and in seeking constantly to im- 
prove it; she will also guide in allocating the various phases 
of the program to the different Junior organizations. She 
will keep in touch with the various organizations and know 
what they are doing; see to it that the program is kept well 


52 





ORGANIZATION FOR THE JUNIOR GROUP 


balanced and that no organization is duplicating the work of 
another. She will constantly try to keep the whole plan and 
program in the minds of the various leaders. She can be of 
invaluable help to Junior workers, in a very informal way, 
by discovering new materials, new books, new methods, and 
making them known to the workers. Her work will always 
be advisory in nature. She will need to work in close co- 
operation with the director of religious education if there be 
such. 
THE JUNIOR CABINET AT WORK 

The first task of the Cabinet will be a survey of existing 
Junior organizations to discover whether there are too many 
or too few. The test of this will be what the existing organiza- 
tions can do for the Juniors. If the program of religious 
education as it is finally worked out can be given to the 
Juniors through fewer organizations it is better to eliminate. 
There is seldom need to add an organization. 

Plan I. The best plan or organization is the week-day 
Church school. This consists of the Sunday sessions and two 
or three week-day sessions. The entire program, including 
play activities, is carried on through the school. In some 
communities the children are released from school at certain 
hours to come to the Church school for religious instruction. 
Such a school should be well organized and conducted, and it 
should not be attempted unless there is a well-trained person 
to direct it, and trained teachers for the various groups. Un- 
less it is fairly certain that the school can be conducted on a 
very high level, it is far better to wait until it can be started 
in the right way, or to join other churches in the community 
in providing such a school for all the children. 

Plan II. Where it is not possible to have a week-day 
Church school the Junior program can function through the 
various Junior organizations. Usually there are at least two, 
and sometimes three, organizations for Juniors. As a rule 
they run quite independently of each other and there is much 
duplication in the way of Bible stories, memory work, wor- 
ship, with glaring failures to meet the needs of the Juniors 
at other points. 


53 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 





The first step in correlating these organizations will have 
been made when the Junior Cabinet is organized. The next 
step will be to discover how much of the program suggested 
in outline here can be undertaken by the combined organiza- 
tions ministering to the Junior group. It may be that all 
that is suggested here is being given. If not, the Junior 
Cabinet can decide how much can be undertaken, and so 
build the program. 

The next step is the allocation of the various phases of the 
program to the different organizations. Specific suggestions 
as to this cannot be given, for each church must solve its own 
problem, but in a general way it can be said that in the 
Sunday school there will be the Bible lessons, with some 
worship, and in the other sessions more of the service and 
other activities, such as dramatization and enterprises of 
various types. If worship is emphasized in the Junior De- 
partment of the Sunday school and in the Junior church, so 
much emphasis need not be placed on worship in the week- 
day classes. If one of the organizations is a missionary 
society naturally most of the missionary instruction and en- 
terprises will be carried on there. Nature studies and play 
activities may be carried on in the week-day groups. 

Of course, it is not possible to give all the instruction in one 
organization and all the activities or all the worship in an- 
other. An educational program for children cannot be so 
sharply divided as that; the various phases of it are too in- 
termingled. Every session will surely have in it something 
of instruction, something of worship, and something of ac- 
tivities, and indeed may have all three. The Sunday-school 
teacher, for instance, must not be debarred from activities 
with her group because that task is assigned to another or- 
ganization. In a general way, however, the divisions sug- 
gested here may be carried out. 

In attempting to correlate the work in this way some other 
steps will have to be taken by the Junior Cabinet. One is the 
matter of grading, for the Junior organizations must be 
for Junior boys and girls alone since the program is for 
Juniors. Junior organizations should no longer receive those 


54 


ORGANIZATION FOR THE JUNIOR GROUP 


under Junior age, although the younger ones already in the 
organization should not be summarily dismissed, since this 
would probably result in hurt feelings. Thus the organi- 
zations will in time become strictly Junior, having in 
them only boys and girls of nine, ten, and eleven years of 
age. 

If it is felt to be absolutely impossible to exclude those 
who are younger from the Junior organizations (and this 
feeling is largely on the part of the leaders, not of the chil- 
dren), the organizations will have to be graded. ‘That is, 
when the time comes for instruction or activities the younger 
groups should meet under the direction of an assistant for 
work more suited to their needs and abilities. 

Attempt to interest all the Juniors in all the sessions for the 
Junior group. For a long time to come children will be more 
apt to attend the Sunday school than any other organization, 
but if the work in the other organizations is made interesting 
attendance will increase. It is important that this should 
happen, since if part of the program is being given through 
these organizations the Juniors who do not attend will not 
get all of it. 

When they are promoted to the Junior Department of the 
Sunday school children should automatically become members 
of the other Junior organizations and plans should be made 
to put the newly promoted group into touch with them at 
once. This may mean modification of some of the organiza- 
tions. In the Junior society the pledge should not be made 
a condition of membership since this tends toward a selective 
group. [Each organization should be open to both boys and 
girls. 

A committee of Juniors (about which more will be said 
later), consisting of representatives from all the Junior 
groups, one from each Junior class and at least one from 
each of the other organizations, will further serve to create 
interest in all the organizations. 

Plan III. When there is just the Junior Department 
of the Sunday school, or Junior classes, as much of the pro- 
gram as possible should be given. There should be week-day 


55 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


sessions of the group, since it will be impossible to give all 
phases of the program in the Sunday sessions. 

Plan IV. In the country it is not always possible to 
have the children except on Sunday. In this case the Junior 
Cabinet may plan to use the Sunday-school hour for Bible 
instruction, the first part of the church service for worship, 
and the latter part of the church hour for handwork, mission- 
ary enterprises, service activities, or dramatization. Ina plan 
like this the pastor and session must cooperate by modifying 
the church service in such a way as to make it of interest and 
value to Juniors. The Juniors will leave the church service 
just before the sermon, and have the remaining time in an- 
other part of the building for their activities, enjoying a 
moment or two of relaxation between the services. The play 
needs of the group may be met by having the group together 
occasionally, at the church or some central location, for games 
and other play. This plan does not require many leaders, 
always a problem in any church, but especially so in the 
country church. The Junior superintendent, or one of the 
Junior teachers if there is no superintendent, may take charge 
of the work, with some assistants. 


PUPIL ORGANIZATION IN THE JUNIOR GROUP 


One of the desires of Juniors is for leadership. At the 
same time, it is not possible to intrust them with too much 
responsibility, or for too long a period of time. Therefore, 
while there should be some self-government in the Junior 
group, it should be of a very simple nature. The best plan 
will be_a Junior Committee. This will be made up of one 
representative from each Junior class and representatives 
from the other Junior organizations. Representatives should 
be elected by the members of the class or organizations from 
which they are sent. The Juniors should be taught to be 
thoughtful about electing representatives, choosing those who 
are in good standing as far as attendance, courtesy, good con- 
duct, and helpfulness are concerned. Election should not be 
on the basis of accomplishments in work and study for that 
would give certain Juniors an unfair advantage. The presi- 


56 


ORGANIZATION FOR THE JUNIOR GROUP 


dent of the committee may be elected by the entire Junior 
group. Representatives should serve three months. 

Work of the Junior Committee. What can the Junior 
Committee do? It must have some real work or interest 
will lag. The Junior Committee may be responsible for get- 
ting the room ready for meetings, seeing that all the neces- 
sary equipment is on hand, and helping the leaders in any 
way possible. They may—though they will need careful 
guidance in doing this—formulate certain standards for the 
entire Junior group, such as standards of punctuality, home 
study, conduct, attendance, and so forth. Juniors are ready 
to set high standards but just as ready to break them when 
they become irksome. They will therefore need to be con- 
stantly cautioned about making standards that they cannot 
live up to. Such standards should be taken by the represen- 
tatives to the various classes and organizations and voted on 
by them, thus being accepted by the whole group. 

The Junior Committee may help to plan the play hours or 
other social affairs, plan service activities, and look after 
absentees. The president may preside at any business meet- 
ings of the Junior group. It is quite in order to permit the 
members of the committee to make suggestions about the 
work. The committee may occasionally plan and conduct 
worship services for the various organizations. 

In creating a feeling of unity in the Junior group the 
members of the Junior Committee will be very useful. They 
should keep each organization informed about the doings of 
the others and, being drawn from all, they will naturally tend 
to bring each group closer to the others. 

Once in a while the entire Junior group may have a meet- 
ing, merely to promote a sense of unity. There may be a 
worship service prepared by the members of the Junior Com- 
mittee and led by them, some reports about what is going 
on in the various organizations, perhaps a little exhibit of the 
work done by various groups. If there is recognition to be 
given for good records, or special work, it may be given at 
this time. There should be good times occasionally for the 
entire group and in these the Junior Committee can help. 


57 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


FORWARD STEPS IN JUNIOR WORK 


The Junior Cabinet should be constantly watching for 
ways of putting the work for the Juniors on a higher plane. 
The smallest, most struggling church can take some steps to 
improve its work; the finest and most up-to-date can still 
find room for improvement. 

If the Junior group is not well graded for its class work, 
the Junior Cabinet may see that this grading is done, 
grouping nine-year-olds in one class, those of ten years in 
another, those of eleven in another. If the Junior group is 
very small there may have to be a combination of these 
groups. It is not wise to try to put boys and girls together 
in a class, although they do work together to some extent. 

Another forward step for the Junior Cabinet will be that of 
securing a separate room and an entirely separate session 
for the Junior group in Sunday school, if they are meeting 
with the adults the entire hour. Sometimes the Juniors can 
meet either before or after the rest of the school; they can 
go outside the church building for a room; an organization 
of adults may be willing to give up their room; or some ad- 
justments may be made in the church building so as to make 
this possible. The religious training of Juniors is important, 
and the time they have for it is so short that none of it 
should be spent in hearing or doing things that mean little 
to them, because planned for adults. 

When Juniors must remain in the adult school securing 
a Junior superintendent and developing a Junior Depart- 
ment will be an important step. This can be done by 
putting the Juniors into classes according to years, using 
suitable lessons, grouping the classes in a corner of the room, 
and screening them for the lesson period. It is quite possible 
to build up a Department spirit even if there is no Junior 
room. The Junior Cabinet will see to it that these Juniors, 
though they cannot have their own room, get as adequate a 
program as is possible. If there are no other Junior organiza- 
tions the Junior Department should meet during the week for 
some of the other phases of the work. 

Another step is improving the Junior room, where there 


58 


ORGANIZATION FOR THE JUNIOR GROUP 


is one, if such improvement is needed. All the Junior or- 
ganizations may use the one room. With the expenditure of 
a little money, and much effort, even a very unattractive room 
can be made more attractive. Space will not be taken here 
to suggest the equipment of a Junior room, nor to show how 
an unattractive room may be improved, but information will 
be sent upon request. 

The Junior Cabinet should be constantly seeking to lift 
the level of teaching. This means a definite effort, first of 
all, for trained leaders. Urge teachers to take teacher- 
training courses ; ask for a teacher-training class if the church 
does not have one; start one, if necessary. Try to establish 
the principle of using only trained leaders. 

Keep leaders in touch with the best methods and newer 
developments in religious education. This means a library. 
The Junior Cabinet may be instrumental in providing a 
reference library for the Junior workers, if the church does 
not have such a library. 

Under the influence and guidance of the Junior Cabinet 
plans for helping parents to carry on religious training in 
the home may go forward. They can promote the various 
plans for helping parents that are suggested in the pamphlet. 

Following the Juniors into their school life may be an- 
other step for the Cabinet. Some suggestions are given in 
this leaflet as to the way in which the Church school may 
seek to relate religious education to secular education in the 
mind of the child, but more plans will occur to the members 
of a Cabinet as they study their own situation. 

Helping the Juniors in their community contacts, find- 
ing community experiences that have religious values, guid- 
ing the Juniors in service in the community may all be tasks 
for the Junior Cabinet, to be worked out by the various 
leaders. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 
“Junior Method in the Church School,” Powell. 


59 


CHAPTERELY, 


THE JUNIOR’S TRAINING IN THE HOME 


=fee]]O matter how adequate the Junior program of the 
Sj Church school may be, it cannot be quite successful 
4S" if there is no home codperation. The Junior spends 
so much of his time under the influence and guidance 
of his parents, is so wrought upon by the atmosphere of his 
home, that the church is working under a handicap if it does 
not succeed in securing the fullest possible codperation of 
parents. The church program for Juniors should therefore in- 
clude plans to secure religious training for the Junior in his 
home. Many parents are not at all interested in the religious 
training of their children; others want to give their children 
religious training, but do not know how. In attempting to be- 
gin religious training in the home the following suggestions 
might be given to parents through the Junior Cabinet. 

Attempt to gain a better understanding of the children. 
So much harm is done children by parents who do not under- 
stand them even in a general way. Suggest some simple, 
readable books on child nature. 

Begin religious observances in the home: family wor- 
ship, better observance of the Sabbath, grace at table. Even if 
family worship consists only of a five-minute service around 
the breakfast table or the supper table, it helps. There are 
many books that will help those who wish to start family 
worship : some of them are listed in the bibliography. If Sun- 
day can be a day that is different, because the children have 
more of their parents’ company, because they attend church 
together and there is a special walk with the parents, or time 
to read together, or to sing around the piano—if there is 
something that sets the day apart—Sunday will come to have 
a special meaning for the boys and girls. 

Emphasize the spiritual on such days as Easter, 


60 





THE JUNIOR’S TRAINING IN THE HOME 


Thankgiving, Christmas. There is great opportunity in 
these special days for the building up of religious attitudes 
and appreciations. Even if Christmas Day or Easter Day is 
marked as a religious day only by the singing of Christmas 
or Easter carols, or by an early morning church service, it 
will have been given some spiritual significance for the child. 
If Thanksgiving is marked by family attendance at church or 
a period of singing of Thanksgiving hymns or a special 
prayer of Thanksgiving at the table, not shutting out one bit 
of the fun of Thanksgiving day, it will help the Junior to feel 
something of its spiritual significance. 

The Junior Cabinet can greatly serve its children by offer- 
ing suggestions for the observance of these special days, put- 
ting them in mimeographed form and sending them to the 
parents. Suggestions will be sent on request. 

Give proper training and guidance in conduct. As their 
boys and girls live from day to day, meeting the various life 
situations that arise, wise parents, guiding them to respond 
in the right way, make a tremendous contribution to their 
character development. In many homes the instruction given 
in the Church school is lost because there is no help in the 
home in putting it into practice. Where the home is em- 
phasizing religious training and religious living, helping the 
children by counsel and direction to live in the right way, 
the task of religious training is much easier. The discussion 
groups and classes suggested later will help parents in this. 

Help the children to have a right attitude toward those 
of other classes and races. Children get their attitudes 
toward others pretty largely from their parents and adults 
in the home. Of themselves they would not be snobbish. By 
their own attitude toward people of other races and classes 
parents can lead their children in the development of attitudes 
that are appreciative and friendly. 

Help the Junior in the development of his prayer life. 
{t is not so easy to help Juniors in their prayer life as it is 
to help younger children, but parents who are good chums 
with their boys and girls can help them; certainly they can 
cooperate with the Church-school leaders in this respect. 


61 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


Codperate with Church-school leaders. Parents can 
codperate with the Church school in its work for Juniors by 
being interested in what the Church school is doing and let- 
ting their boys and girls see their interest and appreciation. 
They can see that the children attend the Church school 
(all its sessions) regularly and punctually ; they can help them 
in any work or study they may bring home and be interested 
in any special projects they may be working out. It makes a 
great difference in the child’s attitude toward religious train- 
ing if he knows that his parents are as interested in that 
as they are in his secular education. 


THE CHURCH HELPING PARENTS 


It is the responsibility of the church to help parents in the 
religious training of their boys and girls at home. Many of 
them do not know how and they need help. There are several 
ways in which the desired help may be offered: 

By furnishing material that will be helpful: leaflets, 
books, lists of good reading books for Juniors, especially at 
Christmas when parents are buying for their children; in- 
formation about the best and cleanest “movies,” helps as to 
religious training, helps for parents who want to know how 
to play with their children. Information as to where these 
may be obtained (especially the books) may be enough for 
parents who can afford to buy them, but where parents are 
in very moderate circumstances a lending library may be got 
together by the Junior Cabinet and offered to the parents. 

By discussion groups for parents. These need not be 
formal in their organization and they may be for fathers, or 
mothers, or both. They need not run on steadily through the 
year, but a group can be formed for a few weeks and then 
be disbanded until time for another group. 

By classes in child study and child-training. Such 
classes can meet during the week or on Sunday, in the church 
or at the homes of the parents. They will go into the study 
of child nature and child-training more thoroughly than will 
be done in the discussion groups. 

By a parent-teacher association. This is, of course, 


62 


SSS 


THE JUNIOR’S TRAINING IN THE HOME 


more formal in its organization than any of the other groups, 
having its officers and stated meetings. Not so much careful 
study and discussion can be done in the meetings of the 
parent-teacher association, but it is a good way of keeping 
parents in touch with the work and is a means of giving them 
information about the training of their children. 

By parents’ meetings. If nothing else in the way of 
helping parents can be done it may be possible to have an 
occasional parents’ meeting. This serves to keep parents in- 
formed and to help to awaken them to a sense of their re- 
sponsibility for the training of their children. 

There are many ways in which the Junior Cabinet may help 
the Juniors’ parents. If only it were possible to keep in 
sufficiently close touch with parents (and it is possible in 
the small or medium-sized church), they would bring the 
Church-school leaders some of the problems they face as 
they try to guide their children. This is where the finest 
help of all may be given. If, however, they come with 
problems, as Edward’s mother did with the problem of play- 
ing marbles for keeps, and the Junior leader is concerned only 
about memory work, they will not soon come again. The 
Junior Cabinet, by visiting and keeping in close touch with 
parents, may be able to give much needed help and counsel. 

Material for discussion groups, to be sent to parents, 
and some material for parents’ study classes is now available. 
It is listed in the bibliography. 


MUTUAL COOPERATION 

If Junior leaders wish parents to codperate with them they 
must keep parents in touch with what is being done. At least 
once a year the Junior Cabinet should send a letter to parents, 
telling them what is planned for the Juniors, asking for their 
help, and showing clearly in what ways they can help. It is a 
good plan to have a parents’ meeting early in the year to 
lay plans before the parents. 

Report cards, showing the Juniors’ progress, may be sent 
once a quarter, and the parents will thus be kept pretty 
closely in touch with the work. Once a year or oftener an 


63 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


exhibit of work may be given. This meeting may be put into 
the hands of the Juniors. The program may be largely theirs, 
for it should consist of the work they have been doing during 
the year. The Junior Committee may plan the worship serv- 
ice and conduct it; one organization may give a dramatiza- 
tion; another may be in charge of and ready to show and ex- 
plain the exhibit; another in charge of refreshments. Such 
affairs do more to deepen interest in the work of the church 
for Juniors than any amount of preaching. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


“Parenthood and Child Nurture,” Baker. 

“Parent Training in the Church School,” Norton. 

“Discussion Topics for Parents”: Leaflet containing topics 
for discussion, programs for the meetings of the discussion 
group, and material for developing the discussions. Some 
of these leaflets are published separately and may be bought 
separately. They are as follows: 

“The Child and the Family,’ Robinson. 

“Teaching Juniors Respect for Law through Nature 
Study,” St. John. 

“What the Church School Is Doing for the Child,” Lewis. 

“Motion Pictures as Teachers,’ Norton. 

“Answering the Children’s Questions,” Baker. 

“Sunday with the Children,” Shields. 

“Teaching a Child to Be Truthful,” Weigle. 

Graded Lists of Reading Books for Children and Books 
for Parents to Read to Children. 

Bulletin No. 6, “Christian Education in the Family.” 

Bulletin No. 11, “A Church Program for Promoting Chris- 
tian Family Life.” 


64 


= 


(EEA EUR Ry Ve 


RELATING THE JUNIOR’S RELIGIOUS TRAIN- 
ING TO HIS SECULAR EDUCATION 





3] Juniors were in the habit of bothering about things 






Ge | they would surely be puzzled by the fact that in the 
>| public school, which plays so big a part in their lives, 





no attention is paid to that which Church-school 
leaders would have the children believe is the most important 
thing in life. While the Junior does not consciously concern 
himself about this, being much in the habit of living his life 
in compartments, as it were, nevertheless it has its effect 
upon him. In the opinion of many it does much to cause 
the Junior to regard religion as unimportant. The Church- 
school leader can help the children to see that while religion is 
not taught in public school, the school is interested in the re- 
ligious training of boys and girls. And she can, in a good 
many ways, relate the work of the two institutions. Not 
much has been done in this important matter and little is 
known about what can be done, but the following suggestions 
could be carried out in most cases : 

Visit the school. Spend some time observing in the 
school the Juniors attend. A teacher may discover that the 
most troublesome boy in her class is quite well behaved in 
the schoolroom, perhaps because he knows that the teacher 
will not permit him to be otherwise, or because the work 
there appeals to his interests and he is better behaved be- 
cause he is interested and happy. It may be found that the 
girl who does very slipshod work in Church school does good 
work in public school because only the best she can do will 
be accepted. 

It will help the Church-school leader to notice the methods 
of the school-teacher. By her training and experience she 
has learned, or should have learned, ways of handling boys 
and girls that should prove very suggestive to the Church- 


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GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


school leader, especially if she be untrained. A chat with 
the teacher should give her many sidelights on her 
pupils. 

Coédperate in solving the problem of the child who is a 
special case. It is quite possible for Church-school and 
public-school workers to cooperate in solving the problems of 
the child who for some reason needs special attention. It 
was only the cooperation of public-school and Church-school 
leaders that solved the problem of George, related earlier 
in this leaflet. In some communities there is a very definite 
effort to do this. The Church-school leader who knows the 
public-school teacher of her Juniors may enlist her aid in 
solving the problems of the children, and vice versa. 

Utilize in the Church school what is taught in public 
school. While religion, as such, is not taught in public 
school, there is much that is taught there which is of value 
for religious education. For instance, there is excellent 
background for missionary instruction. One evening a little 
girl showed the writer a booklet she was making. In it she 
had all the pictures and information she could gather, together 
with some notes taken in class, about almost every large 
country in the world. This book was being made under the 
direction of the geography teacher. Had her Church-school 
teacher wished to give her pupils missionary instruction, she 
might have discovered that her girls, for they were all in the 
same class, had a rich background of information upon which 
she could have drawn. Not paying any attention to what 
her pupils did in school, she would probably have given them 
the information all over again. 

An increasing number of schools are conducting projects 
whose purpose is to develop an appreciation of peoples in 
other lands and to establish international friendship. One 
school in a small New England town had such a project, in 
which every grade in the school had a part. Suppose that 
the Church-school leaders in the town had known of this 
and had seized the opportunity for religious education! How 
easily the whole thing might have been given a religious in- 
terpretation! Many stories are told in the public school to 


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RELATING THE JUNIOR’S RELIGIOUS TRAINING 


promote international friendship. Of these the Church-school 
leader may take advantage. 

Much that may be of use in worship is also taught in the 
schools: carols at Christmas and Easter; poetry, some of it © 
religious in its content; beautiful prose, idealistic stories. 
Great masterpieces in art are also studied, many of them 
religious in subject. Yet the children do not study the pic- 
tures or the poetry or the carols for their religious content. 
They study them as art, as literature. It is the opportunity 
of the Church-school leader to reveal to the child the reli- 
gious values of such material. Perhaps the Juniors of a cer- 
tain public school have learned some beautiful Christmas 
carols. To use them in the worship services of the Junior 
Department or one of the other organizations may reveal to 
the Juniors, just by putting them in that setting, their reli- 
gious values. A great picture, familiar to the children because 
it has been studied in‘ public school, may have an entirely 
different message as it is studied from the religious viewpoint 
in the Church school. 

Interpret service projects religiously. Certain service 
projects are carried on in the public schools. In small com- 
munities it may be possible for churches and schools to 
unite in some of these, especially at Christmas or Thanks- 
giving. Where this is not possibleythe Church-school leader 
can lead her pupils to realize that helping others, if done 
from a Christian motive, is Christian service. 

Guide the children in their contacts. Boys and girls 
have many and varied contacts in their public-school life. 
They meet children of other classes and races. Unless they 
are guided in their contacts with these children who may be 
poorer, or different, the Juniors are not apt to be very kind 
to them. Especially are they unkind to children of other 
races, and this is, sad to say, often a reflection of the atti- 
tude of their parents. Here is another opportunity for the 
Church-school leader. She can find out what contacts her 
pupils have and help them to be more kind and friendly. 
Have some play hours to which these other children are 
invited. A missionary enterprise which ended with a spoken 


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GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 





or even written resolve to be friendly to every child from 
another race or class would be really worth while in the 
Junior group. 

Change the attitude toward school-teachers. Juniors 
seldom appreciate what their teachers do for them. To be 
sure, if a teacher is generally and heartily disliked it 1s 
her fault, but Juniors reflect the attitude of adults, who take 
for granted the fine work of teachers and indeed are inclined 
to scoff a bit at them. In one community where this was 
clearly reflected in the children’s attitude toward their 
teachers, the teacher of the week-day religious school had 
a number of discussions with her pupils about what came to 
them through the efforts of their teachers. They realized 
that many really delightful things, learning to read for in- 
stance, which brought them such pleasure, they owed to their 
teachers. They finally gave a party for their teachers as an 
expression of their appreciation. The teachers were pleased, 
of course, and the changed attitude of the children made 
possible much happier times in school for both pupils and 
teachers. 

In order to get information about what is going on in the 
public school the Juniors attend, visit the school, talk to the 
teachers, talk to your pupils to find out what they are learn- 
ing and doing. It is often possible to get a syllabus of the 
courses for the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, which is 
where most Juniors are in public school. A few of the 
slower children are below the fourth grade; some of the 
brighter pupils above the sixth. One Church-school leader 
has made a study of the school curriculum and has found it 
invaluable in his work. In most places public-school leaders 
will be glad to provide this material. 

Find out what progress your children are making in school. 
In giving recognition for achievement give recognition for 
work or standing in school. Sometimes the school-teacher 
and the Church-school leader working together can help 
an idle boy or girl to do better, or help a child who is not 
happy in his play group to make a better adjustment, or help 
the child who is a special problem to a better way of living. 


68 


RELATING THE JUNIOR’S RELIGIOUS TRAINING 


RELIGIOUS VALUES FOR THE JUNIOR IN THE 
COMMUNITY 

The Junior is a member of the community in a sense that 
the smaller child is not. While a small child is in the same 
world as an adult physically, mentally he is not in the same 
world since his world consists only of that of which he is 
aware. The Junior’s awareness of the community grows in- 
creasingly. He may be helped to take his place in it, to 
appreciate its good points, and to do his part as a member 
of the community. 

He gets some help in this direction in school, in that he 
is taught the contribution made by all public officers and 
agencies to the well-being of the community, but as yet 
there has not been much help in guiding him in taking his 
place in the community or in pointing out for him the values 
in the community which will help him. It remains for the 
Church-school leader to help the Junior in this way. 

The use of community agencies. The school introduces 
the Junior to the library, sending him there for reference 
books and encouraging him to find his reading there. But 
the library has religious values for the Junior. There is 
much material in books that will help him. The Church- 
school leader may discover these books of Bible stories, the 
books—and there are many—that will promote attitudes of 
world friendship, the pictures and posters that are fine and 
good, and point them out to the Junior, who may pass them by 
unnoticed unless they are revealed. The librarian will be 
willing to put out for special attention books that promote 
world friendship, or a display of pictures or posters, if she 
understands what the Church-school leader is trying to do. 
She will often put out material if the Church-school leader 
is carrying out a project and wants to send the children to 
the library to look up materials. In the larger libraries, 
where there is a children’s room, it may be possible to ar- 
range for special exhibits. Very often there is a story hour 
at the public library and the Church-school leader may unite 
with the public-school teacher in encouraging attendance 
there. She may, by becoming acquainted with the one who 


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GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 


tells the stories, succeed in having some missionary and 
Biblical stories told if they are not sectarian. 

It will certainly be of great help to the Junior leader to 
spend some time in the library, watching the books her chil- 
dren take out or helping them to select books. Thus she , 
will be able to point out to them desirable reading matter 
and often because she has pointed it out to them it will be 
taken home and read. 

Art galleries and museums. Children are sometimes 
taken by their public-school teachers to art galleries and 
museums. But quite frequently they grow up without be- 
coming acquainted with the opportunities in their own com- 
munity. The Church-school leader who finds time to take 
her children to the art galleries to study great religious 
masterpieces will be doing something that is worth while. 
Very often the exhibits in the museums are of great value 
in developing appreciation of other peoples. When Juniors 
see the beautiful pictures painted by Italian or French or 
German artists, they are not apt to feel quite so superior to 
children of these races. When they see some of the beau- 
tiful carving, or embroidery, or weaving, of other peoples, 
they realize that each race has its big contribution to make 
to the world, and such realization brings about appreciation 
that develops respect for the qualities of others. Such study 
is valuable in building up a background for mission study. 

Community opportunities for development of reverence 
and appreciation. There are many community opportu- 
nities for the development of appreciation and reverence. 
The carol-singing at Christmas now prevalent in so many 
communities all over the country may make its real con- 
tribution to the Junior. Wherever it is carried on, the Junior 
Church-school leader should plan to make it worth while 
to her Juniors—perhaps, by going with them to it, or by 
seeing that they have part in it. She can go over the carols 
that are likely to be sung (usually the old, familiar ones are 
used) so that the Juniors can join in the singing. The early 
morning Easter services may mean much, too. To get up 
early on Easter Sunday morning to go to a sunrise service 


70 


RELATING THE JUNIOR’S RELIGIOUS TRAINING 


will not be a hardship for vigorous Juniors. The child who 
in the early dawn of Easter joins with others in worship will 
not soon forget the impression made upon him. Then there 
are community pageants and celebrations. Where they are 
worth while, let the Church-school leader bring her Juniors 
into touch with them, perhaps finding a way for them to 
help in their production. A group of Juniors who take part 
in or witness a great community pageant will have had an 
experience that helps in the building of attitudes that are 
of untold worth to them at that particular stage of their 
development. 

The sacred places in the community may be made of worth 
to the religious development of the Junior. There are many 
such in our country. The Juniors are often taken to them 
by their public-school leaders but usually in such large groups 
and in so hurried a fashion that the emotional values are 
lost. The Church-school leader who is near such a place and 
who will take her Juniors to it, who has a story to tell about 
it, or who can help her pupils to understand what was back 
of it all and make them thoughtful about it, has made them 
aware of something that perhaps they had not, up to that 
time, realized. 

Community opportunities for developing the spirit of 
helpfulness. There are many opportunities for com- 
munity helpfulness on the part of Junior boys and girls and 
every such opportunity rightfully participated in helps to 
develop a worth-while member of the community. There are 
sometimes clean-up campaigns in which Junior boys and girls 
may assist. They may help in the care of trees, especially 
when some danger threatens. On special occasions, as when 
a convention is being held in the town, if the community is 
small, how proudly Junior boys and girls help in directing 
strangers, in running errands, and so forth! They may help 
in the Red Cross campaign or the campaign for the com- 
munity chest, both by gifts and by service, or in any way 
that seems wise to their leaders. It is never good to put 
Junior boys and girls on the street to sell things and it is 
especially bad in the case of Junior girls, One sees with real 


7\ 


GUIDEBOOK FOR LEADERS OF JUNIORS 





regret that in some communities the elders have been so 
thoughtless as to let boys and girls of this age help in com- 
munity campaigns by selling on the street. Junior boys and 
girls may learn to understand the purpose of such community 
institutions as hospitals, orphanages, homes for the aged and 
for the incurable, and they may become interested in help- 
ing these by their gifts of money, by preparing gifts for 
the inmates of such institutions, and by planning entertain- 
ments or parties for them from time to time. They may 
learn that members of the community have a special respon- 
sibility for these institutions. 

Obedience to laws of community. Juniors can and 
should learn that every community has its laws of health, 
and in a general sense a health program. They can learn 
to understand the rules of quarantine and other safeguards 
for health in the community, and can determine to be loyal 
to them in so far as they are able. Sometimes a community 
puts on a special health campaign, and ways may be found of 
using Juniors in such a campaign. Certainly Juniors can be 
led to a cheerful and honest observance of all health rules, in- 
cluding the rules of quarantine, which are perhaps hardest for 
them since a Junior often cannot understand why he needs 
to be quarantined for anything so trifling as a light case of 
measles or chicken pox. 

Juniors can help to care for community property, refrain- 
ing from defacing public buildings. They can be interested 
in doing their share in keeping parks tidy and streets clean. 

Wherever there is a community, no matter how tiny, there 
are values in it for Juniors; there are opportunities for serv- 
ice that will help to make the Junior a better citizen. 


GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY 
“Foundations of Method,” Kilpatrick. 
“Law and Freedom in the School,” Coe. 
“Project Principle in Religious Education,’ Shaver. 
“Religious Education Through Story-Telling,” Cather. 





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